May Millete

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Chula Vista Police Department Ca (CA)

Missing From:

Chula Vista, California

Summary:

May "Maya" Millete (born May 1, 1981) is a Filipino American woman who disappeared on January 7, 2021, in Chula Vista, California. May, who was known to family and friends as Maya, had been working as a defense contractor at Naval Base San Diego, was last seen alive on January 7, 2021, at the family's home in Chula Vista where she lived with her husband Larry and their three children -- then aged 4, 9 and 11. On Tuesday October 19, 2021, Larry Millete was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife Maya.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On January 7, 2021, Millete was last seen at the family's house around 5 in the evening; she had called a divorce attorney earlier that day. Maya's relatives came to check on her on January 8 but were told by Larry that she had remained locked in a room by herself since the previous day. When they returned the following morning and insisted Larry open the door, they found the room empty with no sign of her. Millete's sister, Maricris Drouaillet, then filed a missing persons report with the Chula Vista Police Department. The following day, Larry Millete was observed on video backing their black Lexus GX 460 into a position where the rear of the vehicle could not be seen on camera. Larry claimed that he drove the Lexus to Solana Beach with one of their children that day; the vehicle was later impounded by the Chula Vista Police Department. On January 9, Larry spoke to a neighbor saying that he took the Lexus to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and asked the neighbor to detail the vehicle. Eight loud bangs can be heard in an audio recording from January 7, 2021, at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the vicinity of Millete's Chula Vista residence.

Additional Details:

Beginning on February 3, 2021, Larry hired an attorney and stopped being cooperative with police. In late July 2021, Larry was named a person of interest by the Chula Vista Police Department. The arrest came after 67 search warrants had been executed, and 87 interviews had been conducted. During a press conference announcing the arrest San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan stated that the body of Maya Millete had not yet been found as of the time of the arrest. On Thursday October 21, 2021, Larry pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at San Diego County Superior Court's South County Court in Chula Vista. Prosecutors allege Larry Millete killed her after she sought to divorce him. A Chula Vista man accused of murdering his wife planted a cell phone in his wife's vehicle in order to track her whereabouts about six months before she disappeared, his sister-in-law testified Wednesday. He allegedly employed the services of spell casters, through whom he hoped magic could be used to convince his wife to stay. Later, he allegedly asked the spell casters to render her incapacitated so she could not leave the home. By early December 2021, both Maya's sister and the paternal grandparents had both filed for guardianship of the children. Maya's sister and brother-in-law, Maricris and Richard Drouaillet, were granted custody the missing woman's three children in August, following a drawn-out court battle with the paternal grandparents. The trial, which is anticipated to last around three months, is now set to begin on March 9, 2026. Maya Millete is presumed to be dead. The arrest warrant declaration states that despite the international media attention the case has garnered, "there have been no credible sightings of May Millete since she was last seen on January 7, 2021."

Case Last Updated:

Apr 23, 2026