Man Charged With Murdering Wife Cast Spells On Her Before She Went Missing: Police

A California man who denied he had anything to do with his wife’s disappearance last winter is now accused of killing the mother of three, authorities said.

In October, Chula Vista police announced they had charged Larry Millete, 40, with illegal possession of an assault weapon and the murder of 39-year-old May “Maya” Millete. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

According to San Diego station KNSD, detectives served 67 search warrants, conducted 87 interviews and spent thousands of man hours investigating the case over the past nine months.

“These efforts ultimately generated a variety of pieces of evidence that have become clear and overwhelming," Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy said. "Larry Millete, May’s husband, is responsible for May’s murder and disappearance.”

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan also noted that as “the evidence unfolded in this case, meticulously and carefully, block-by-block, it pointed in one direction: May was murdered.”

Stephan claimed Larry Millete, who was named a person of interest in the case last July, allegedly killed his wife after she attempted to end their toxic marriage for “many reasons.”

“In homicide cases, there is often a triggering event,” Stephan said. “In this case, on Jan. 7, 2021, May was no longer talking about divorce. She took that step, and the last call recorded that May made was to a divorce attorney. She did not make any further calls.”

Millete had an appointment with the attorney scheduled for Jan. 12 — five days after she was last seen alive.

Prior to May Millete disappearing, the D.A. said, Larry Millete allegedly consulted “spellcasters” — or people thought to possess magical powers — in hopes they would be able to get his wife to continue their relationship.

“I’ve never had a case where that was involved ... but as December of 2020 came, those messages to spellcasters were a lot more threatening,” Stephan claimed. “He was asking for May to become incapacitated, for May to be in an accident, to have broken bones so that she could stay at home, thus displaying his homicidal ideations to harm May.”

Maricris Drouaillet told KNSD that it was tough to accept her brother-in-law may have had something to do with her sister vanishing.

“It’s hard to go against family,” Drouaillet said after Larry Millete’s arrest. “He’s been with us for 20 years. My sister loved him. She gave him three kids. This is still not the end. We have a long way to go. We’re still asking the public: Please help us bring my sister home. I just want to see my sister.”

Police have not located May Millete’s body.