Ongoing case
Chula Vista, Ca
•
2021-01-07
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wife
"It’s a struggle. It’s a nightmare... This has been the longest, painful year that the family has ever been through." ~Maricris Tabalanza-Drouaillet (sister)
Coercive Control
intimate partner violence
No-body homicide
Separation-instigated violence
Concealment of remains
Digital forensics
Firearm violence tracking
Life and memory
May "Maya" Millete (née Tabalanza) was a 39-year-old mother deeply devoted to her three children. Born in the Philippines and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was a graduate of Admiral Arthur W. Radford High School and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Described by friends and colleagues as professional and hardworking, Maya built a stable career as a civilian contractor for the United States Navy, serving as a contract specialist at the Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego. Beyond her professional achievements, she was known to her family, particularly her sister Maricris and brother-in-law Robert Drouaillet, as a vibrant presence who loved the outdoors, frequently hiking the trails of Mother Miguel Mountain near her home in Chula Vista.
Fatal incident
According to investigators and digital logs, Maya Millete was last confirmed alive on the afternoon of January 7, 2021, when a neighbor's security camera recorded her returning to her San Miguel Ranch home. That same day, Maya officially contacted a divorce lawyer to initiate legal separation from her husband, Larry Millete. Phone records show her digital activity ceased late that evening. Just before 10:00 PM, a neighbor's surveillance microphone captured nine loud, successive banging sounds, though authorities could not conclusively identify them as gunfire. Prosecutors allege that Larry killed Maya inside the home that night to prevent her from leaving the marriage, subsequently using the family's Lexus GX460 SUV to transport and conceal her remains during a 12-hour window on January 8, during which his mobile phone was powered down.
Aftermath
In the initial weeks following Maya's disappearance, Chula Vista police treated the case as a standard missing person inquiry, noting that Larry was cooperating. However, cooperation ceased by February 2021 after Larry retained legal counsel, prompting an escalating multi-agency investigation. On October 19, 2021, Larry Millete was arrested at his home and charged with first-degree murder and a weapons felony. He has remained held without bail.
The legal timeline experienced multiple delays: a three-month freeze occurred in mid-2022 due to a defense-initiated competency review, and the trial was postponed five additional times following a switch in defense counsel in late 2023. In January 2023, San Diego Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring ruled there was sufficient probable cause to bind Larry over for trial, noting a distinct shift in Larry's behavior before and after Maya vanished. Throughout her absence, Maya's family, alongside local volunteer search networks, have continuously combed wilderness locations across Southern California, holding annual prayer vigils to preserve her memory and plea for the recovery of her remains.
Prevention context
This case powerfully highlights several classic, high-risk indicators of escalating domestic violence fatalities:
• Separation as a Trigger: The fatal event occurred on the exact day the victim took formal steps to secure a divorce lawyer, aligning with established data that the period immediately surrounding a victim's attempt to leave a relationship is statistically the most dangerous.
• Coercive Control and Stalking: Prior to the disappearance, the suspect exhibited extreme behaviors aimed at maintaining dominance, including tracking the victim to her workplace and trying to isolate or control her through digital surveillance and psychological avenues (such as employing online spellcasters).
• Presence of Firearms and Threats: The suspect had access to firearms and had explicitly verbalized homicidal ideation ("I will kill them") while brandishing a handgun to family members months prior, illustrating a clear breakdown in early intervention options despite visible warning signs.
• Victim Fear and Safe House Needs: Maya expressed fear that her husband would leverage or harm their children to inflict emotional pain on her, prompting friends to offer a physical safe house—underscoring that the victim recognized the escalating danger but faced immense barriers to successfully separating safely.
Family interviews and memorial voices
When families choose to speak, their words help preserve memory, context, and the human reality behind the public record.
Family interview
5 years after disappearance of Chula Vista mother ‘Maya’ Millete, husband’s murder trial to begin
5 years after disappearance of Chula Vista mother ‘Maya’ Millete, husband’s murder trial to begin
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Additional evidence and source material
Some materials do not fit neatly into one category but still belong in the documentary record of the case.
Social post or screenshot
CA v. Larry Millete: The Search for Maya Millete
Provides comprehensive daily logs of the 10-day preliminary hearing, detailing the letters found, mileage discrepancies, poisoning suspicions, and gun threats.
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CA v. Larry Millete: The Search for Maya Millete
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