The Mysterious 2021 Disappearance Of Maya Millete

On January 9, 2021, Maricris Drouaillet filed a missing person's report at the Chula Vista Police Department. Her sister, May "Maya" Millete, was nowhere to be found and was last seen on January 7 at her home. According to NBC San Diego, the family had plans to go to Big Bear Mountain Resort to celebrate the birthday of one of Millete's kids, but calls and texts to her went unanswered. The family called jails, hospitals, and morgues but the missing woman was not in any of the locations. For weeks, authorities, family members, and volunteers from the community searched for Millete, but their efforts didn't yield results.

Maya Millete was a civilian employee of the United States Navy. She was born in the Philippines but was raised in Hawaii, and in high school, she met Larry Millete. The couple moved to San Diego, married, and had three children together. Drouaillet told the Asian Journal that her sister was an amazing mother and wouldn't have just left her children. Maya's family became suspicious of her husband, as they knew that they had been having marital issues for the last year and Maya stated her intention of getting a divorce.

Initially, Larry Millete cooperated with the investigators. In a police interview, he stated that he last saw his wife at home on January 7, and he admitted that they had a fight, as reported by Inquirer. Later on, however, the police notified Maya Millete's family that Larry hired a lawyer and refused to cooperate further with the investigation.

Investigators were able to get a surveillance video from one of Maya's neighbors. In it, as noted by CBS 8, eight bangs that sounded like gunshots can be heard at about 10 p.m. on the date Maya was last seen alive. In the months after her disappearance, Maya's family continued their efforts to find her. In April 2021, the Chula Vista Police Department announced that it will be joining forces with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the San Diego District Attorney's Office, as well as the FBI to locate the missing woman. Investigators conducted interviews with friends, family, and neighbors, as well as scoured financial records, social media accounts, and other electronic information to get clues about what happened to Maya. About six months after her disappearance, investigators declared Maya's husband a person of interest (per NBC San Diego).

On October 19, 2021, the Chula Vista Police Department announced that Larry Millete was arrested for the murder of his wife. Investigators were able to put together a case based on the "clear and overwhelming" pieces of evidence that they gathered, and their analysis concluded that Maya was not just missing, but murdered, per NBC San Diego. The prosecution laid out their case and said Larry murdered his wife after she took a step toward getting a divorce. Investigators said that the last call Maya made was to a divorce attorney, and there were no calls from her phone afterward.

Larry also resorted to an unusual method to save his marriage. As reported by CBS News, he contacted several spellcasters online and hired them to put a hex on his wife to make her be attracted to him. Larry even wrote a review for one spellcaster, writing, "She is kind, professional and courteous. My casting has not yet manifested, but I'm really hoping and counting on it." As time passed, he grew desperate and at one point sent a message to a spellcaster asking to "punish" his wife and "incapacitate her enough so she can't leave the house."

Larry pleaded not guilty and insists that Maya left their home and their children on her own accord. Maya Millete's body is still missing. Her family set up a Facebook page for search details and updates on the case.