A mother-of-three told her estranged husband not to contact her and pushed for a separation in a series of final messages before she vanished, a court has heard.
May “Maya” Millete, 39, disappeared in January 2021 after returning to her home in Chula Vista, California, and has not been seen since.
Details of the couple’s deteriorating relationship have emerged as her husband stands trial accused of her murder.
Maya was last seen pulling into the driveway of the home she shared with her husband Larry Millete, 44, about 10 miles south of San Diego.
As the Daily Mail reports, the court has been told she had been having an affair with a co-worker and was seeking to end her marriage, which began in 2000.
In the months before her disappearance, tensions escalated to the point where Maya moved in with her sister-in-law, Genesis, to “get space” from her husband.
Text messages shown in court reveal Maya’s firm stance on ending the relationship.
In one exchange, she wrote: “Make sure you and the pastor talk about our final separation.”
“And DO NOT try and talk to me,” Maya added. “I am not changing my mind.”
She also told her husband: “If u do not want separation, we can divorce. But I am not leaving the house. If u don’t want to see me everyday [sic], then you leave.”
At the same time, Larry had been contacting Genesis frequently, asking for help to repair the marriage.
On August 12, he messaged her saying Maya had “left the house again” after he met with a pastor, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
Maya was last captured on a neighbour’s surveillance camera on the afternoon of January 7, 2021. Phone records show she continued using her phone later that day to browse the internet and message friends.
She has not been seen or heard from since.
Larry Millete was arrested in October 2021 and charged with first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty, claiming his wife left voluntarily. Her body has never been found.
The trial began on May 18 at the South County Superior Court in California.
During opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles told jurors Maya had been deeply unhappy in her marriage and argued that “divorce was not an option” for Larry.
“There was no world that existed that May Millete was not his wife,” she said.
The court has heard proceedings will not be live-streamed or recorded due to concerns about the impact on the case.
Defence lawyer Colby Ryan described the case as a “tragedy” but argued investigators focused too narrowly on his client and failed to properly examine other potential suspects.
He pointed to Maya’s relationship with co-worker Jamey Laird, noting her disappearance coincided with the anniversary of their affair, and said Laird and his pregnant wife were not thoroughly investigated.
Ryan said the prosecution had presented a “tragic, emotional [and] provocative” narrative, but argued it would only be possible if Larry had “committed the perfect murder.”
Detective Ryan Culver told the court Larry cooperated with police on the night Maya was reported missing, allowing officers to search the family home, where no signs of a struggle or foul play were found.
Detective Lorenzo Ruiz said Maya’s credit cards have not been used since the day she disappeared and that investigators found no evidence she left the home in surveillance footage.
He also told the court that searches on a device believed to belong to Maya included: “Is manhandling a wife physical abuse?” and “physical abuse manifesting years after marriage.”
Other searches, some dating back to 2020, related to divorce, separation and child support.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office previously said: “We will not be making any comments on this case during its pendency.”
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