Five Years, No Body, One Verdict: Millete Jury Finds Premeditation Proved
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On July 9, 2026, a San Diego County jury returned a guilty verdict on first-degree murder against Larry Millete, 44, of Chula Vista — finding that the killing of his wife Maya, who vanished on January 7, 2021, was premeditated and deliberate. The conviction came despite the absence of a body, a crime scene, or a forensically established cause of death, making it one of the most closely watched circumstantial-evidence prosecutions in recent county history.
Prosecutors built their case over roughly five weeks of testimony, presenting 152 listed witnesses alongside communications records, behavioral patterns, and forensic data. Juror Number Three spoke publicly with ABC 10News immediately after the verdict, describing the deliberation process — a willingness to go on record that observers noted suggests the panel is confident in its conclusion.
Under California law, first-degree murder carries a sentence of up to 25 years to life in state prison. As of Friday morning, no sentencing date had been publicly announced; the judge will set that date and the court will track it. Millete is 44 years old.
The verdict carries weight well beyond the courtroom. Maya Millete's disappearance in early 2021 mobilized hundreds of volunteers who walked trails and fields across the South Bay searching for her. Her family organized, advocated, and endured years of pre-trial delays before Thursday's outcome. A conviction answers the legal question of what happened. It does not answer the physical one: Maya Millete has not been found.