What Happened to Maya 'May' Tabalanza Millete?

Maya 'May' Millete, born May 1, 1981, in the Philippines, was a civilian employee of the United States Navy and a mother of three who disappeared from her Chula Vista, California home on January 7, 2021. Her disappearance sparked a massive search effort and garnered national attention. The investigation quickly focused on her husband, Larry Millete, as their marriage had been deteriorating, and Maya had expressed intentions to file for divorce.

Prosecutors alleged that Larry Millete became increasingly controlling and paranoid as Maya sought to end their 20-year marriage. Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Maya had communicated with her employer about Larry discovering her divorce plans and threatening professional consequences. She had also told a friend she was filing for divorce and planned to meet with an attorney on January 12, 2021. Larry Millete reportedly engaged with spellcasters, initially seeking spells to make Maya fall back in love with him, and later, allegedly, to harm her.

The day after Maya was last seen, Larry Millete was observed on video backing his black Lexus GX 460 into a position where the rear of the vehicle was obscured. He later claimed to have driven the Lexus to Solana Beach with one of their children. Investigators noted an unaccounted 444 miles on the vehicle's odometer and its suspicious cleanliness. Larry Millete was named a person of interest in July 2021 and arrested and charged with Maya's murder in October 2021, despite her body not being found.

The murder trial against Larry Millete began in May 2026 and lasted nearly two months, with jurors beginning deliberations on July 8, 2026. The prosecution's case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, including Larry's alleged obsession, his use of spellcasters, and the suspicious movements of his SUV. Prosecutors suggested Maya was likely poisoned or strangled, and her body disposed of somewhere along the Colorado River Reservation, near the Arizona border, during the 12 hours Larry was unaccounted for on January 8, 2021.

On July 9, 2026, after less than a day of deliberation, a San Diego County jury found Larry Millete guilty of first-degree murder. The verdict brought a sense of justice to Maya's family, though her sister, Maricris Drouaillet, emphasized that their work would not be finished until Maya's body is found. Larry Millete, 44, faces a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in state prison for the murder. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set, as an unresolved assault weapon possession charge will be addressed first. Millete is scheduled to return to court in August 2026 for a status conference regarding this charge, and his legal team may pursue an appeal.