Disappearance and Murder of Maya Millete

Maya "May" Millete was born May 1, 1981, in the Philippines and immigrated with her family to Hawaii in 1995. She was raised in Honolulu, graduated from Admiral Arthur W. Radford High School and later the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She met her future husband, Larry Millete, in high school. The couple married, and Larry served five years in the United States Navy. They settled in the San Miguel Ranch area of Chula Vista, California, and had three children. Maya worked as a civilian contract specialist for the Navy, most recently for the Naval Information Warfare Center.

By late 2020, the couple's marriage had deteriorated. According to accounts from friends, Larry had become increasingly controlling and paranoid, suspecting Maya of having an affair, and had allegedly physically abused her. Maya had decided to divorce him and was taking steps toward separation, including contacting a divorce attorney. One friend reportedly offered her a safe location due to concerns for her safety.

Maya was last seen at the family home on January 7, 2021, around 5 p.m., after having called a divorce attorney earlier that day. An audio recording from a neighbor's camera captured eight loud bangs near the residence around 8:30 p.m. that evening. The following day, surveillance video showed Larry positioning the family's Lexus so its rear could not be seen on camera; he later gave differing accounts of where he drove the vehicle. When Maya's relatives came to check on her, Larry told them she was locked alone in a room; when the room was opened the next day, it was empty. Maya's sister filed a missing persons report on January 8, 2021.

Extensive searches by volunteers, police, and a private investigator hired by Maya's family took place over the following years across multiple Southern California locations, including Mount San Miguel Park, the Glamis sand dunes, Lower Otay Lake, and the Salton Sea area. Skeletal remains initially thought to be Maya's, found in Orange County, were later determined to be animal bones. The case drew national media attention, including segments on Good Morning America, Dr. Phil, Dateline NBC, and CBS's 48 Hours.

Larry Millete became increasingly uncooperative with investigators after hiring an attorney in February 2021. Reports emerged that he had sought to hire someone to kill a man he suspected Maya was having an affair with, and his firearms were seized under a gun violence restraining order in May 2021. He was named a person of interest in July 2021 and arrested and charged with Maya's murder on October 19, 2021; he pleaded not guilty. A search after his arrest turned up a vial containing a chemical found in hemlock. Following competency proceedings and multiple trial delays, Larry's trial began May 18, 2026. The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on July 9, 2026, after five hours of deliberation. As of the conviction, Maya's body has not been recovered. Larry faces a separate trial on a firearm possession charge. Custody of the couple's children was contested for years, ultimately going to Maya's sister in August 2024.