It’s been just over two thousand days since Maya Millete was last seen alive. Today, jurors finally began the task of determining if her husband Larry Millete is responsible for her disappearance.
Jurors have sat in on 25 days of testimony – and have been inundated with more than a thousand evidentiary exhibits. It’s all part of a case that’s entirely circumstantial.
The heart of the case – accusations that Larry Millete methodically planned the murder of his wife Maya, then disposed of her body, which has never been found. He’s repeatedly said he’s not responsible.
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Maya and Larry Millete
The prosecution said Larry snapped after he wasn’t able to keep Maya from leaving their failing marriage. They said his efforts to control her included turning to online spellcasters, subliminal messages, and digital tracking.
Prosecutors said another key component of Larry’s spiralling behaviors was an affair between Maya and a coworker. Many of those sordid details were revealed for the first time during the trial, including evidence that Maya opted to terminate a pregnancy that resulted from that affair.
If the jury decides that Larry is guilty, they have four options for a conviction: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter. Or they could tell the court that the prosecution didn’t meet its burden to prove he did it beyond a reasonable doubt, and find him not guilty.
First-degree murder: Jurors would need to believe that Larry not only intended to kill Maya, but also planned her death in advance.
Second-degree murder: Jurors would need to believe that Larry intended to kill Maya, but that the decision to kill was made rashly.
Voluntary manslaughter: Jurors would need to believe Maya’s killing was intentional, but lacked premeditation, and occurred because Larry was provoked in some manner.
Involuntary manslaughter: Jurors would need to believe the killing was unintentional and resulted from the defendant’s recklessness or criminal negligence, such as if the juror believes Larry purposefully poisoned Maya but didn’t intend to end her life.
To arrive at any of these convictions, jurors don’t need to come to any particular conclusion about how Maya was killed, only that Larry is responsible.
At about 3:00 p.m. today, the mission for the jury began. Deliberations are now underway.
Closing arguments from the defense
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Defense attorney Liann Sabatini speaks during a status hearing for Larry Millete on January 8, 2024.
On Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles spent three hours delivering the prosecution’s closing arguments to convict Larry. On Wednesday morning, it was the defense’s turn.
Liann Sabatini, one of Larry’s two defense attorneys, didn’t use a single visual aid during her closing argument. Instead, she spoke directly to the jury.
The main theme of her speech – that the prosecution had not met its burden to prove Larry guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The prosecution has the burden of proof,” Sabatini said. “The presumption is that he’s not guilty…When you hear about the actions of what he’s done, the presumption is there is an innocent explanation.”
Sabatini worked to explain away many of the behaviors Larry exhibited in 2020. Behaviors the prosecution said indicated premeditated murderous intent. The defense said Larry was being gaslit by May that entire year, who repeatedly denied the affair.
“He’s experienced heartbreak and betrayal, while he’s being gaslit…that’s going to send you into a tailspin,” Sabatini said. “Any normal human being is going to deteriorate when their heart is involved.”
With no support from friends and family, Sabatini said Larry turned to online spellcasters who created a safe space for his desperate feelings and perhaps even exploited them.
“What we saw, though, from spells…he’s pouring his heart out, and they are validating him,” Sabatini said. “They are saying, ‘Yes, we might need a stronger spell.’”
The defense attorney also poked holes in the prosecution’s theory that Larry poisoned Maya. Sabatini said it was unreasonable to believe that Larry was enough of a mastermind to pull off the perfect murder, but leave behind the murder weapon for police to find months after they started investigating.
“This whole theory is silly,” Sabatini said.
Sabatini offered two possible theories – that his children collected the plants because they liked the flowers, or that Larry intended to use the poison to take his own life.
“Imagine being at your lowest of low that you are contemplating suicide…and accused of homicide,” Sabatini said. “It’s outrageous.”
Sabatini then reiterated the defense’s narrative that there’s no proof that Maya was even dead.
“No murder weapon. No crime scene. No confession. No eyewitnesses. No body,” Sabatini said. “Do not let them shift their burden to you. They have to prove it. The only thing they’ve proven is that Larry is a human being.”
Larry Millete is accused of killing his wife, Maya, in 2021 and hiding her body. The prosecution spent 24 days presenting its case to the jury. The defense spent three hours making its case. As jurors begin deliberations, we spoke with a panel of experts to break down the testimony.
A final rebuttal from the prosecution
In criminal trials, the prosecution always gets the last word, because they have the burden to prove their case. In her response, Bowles’ voice often rose in volume as she attacked the defense’s arguments.
“There were several statements made by the defense, ‘In my opinion. Could have. Maybe.’ That is speculation!” Bowles said. “You have to base your decision on the facts.”
Bowles then told jurors they needed to see the total picture – to add up all the evidence and come to the only reasonable conclusion. She said that a person would have to believe a long series of coincidences for Larry to not be guilty of the crime.
She then went through a list of the evidence:
He is the only person with motive and opportunity
He expressed intent to hurt her
He repositions his car at 6:00 a.m. the morning after she was last seen
His whereabouts are unknown for hours
He turned off his phone all day long
He gave conflicting statements about his whereabouts
He deleted messages, searches, and location history
He asked to get his SUV detailed to fix mysterious scratches
He had the car washed multiple times after Maya vanished
He searched for ways to kill
He had poison in his possession that he’d researched thoroughly online
“He’s either the unluckiest person in the world, or he’s guilty of murder,” Bowles said. “May[a] Millete found her voice. Finally…and the defendant silenced it.”