No Body Found, Husband Convicted of Murder

In a high-profile case, Larry Millete was convicted of first-degree murder for killing his wife, May "Maya" Millete, who has been missing since January 2021. A Chula Vista jury delivered the verdict after only five hours of deliberation, concluding a seven-week trial that featured over 60 witnesses. Millete, who has been in custody since October 2021, was found guilty of murdering his wife, last seen alive on January 7, 2021.

The prosecution argued that May Millete would never have abandoned her children and that her disappearance was only explainable by her husband's actions. Evidence presented suggested Millete killed his wife the same day she planned to divorce him, possibly poisoning her and disposing of her body. Prosecutors highlighted Millete's suspicious behavior on January 8, 2021, including shutting off his phone for over 11 hours while he drove to an unknown location, contradicting his initial statement to detectives.

Despite the lack of a body, the prosecution built its case on circumstantial evidence. This included hundreds of messages Millete sent to online spell-casters and his unusual phone activity on the day after his wife's disappearance. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecution had not proven May Millete was dead or that her husband killed her, suggesting alternative explanations.

Ultimately, the jury sided with the prosecution's assertion that the only reasonable conclusion was that May Millete was dead and that the defendant was responsible for her death. The case drew significant media attention, including features on national television shows and in magazines.