Following the preliminary hearing, the judge in the case of missing Chula Vista mom Maya Millete will determine if her husband Larry Millete will stand trial.
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LIVE BLOG - THURSDAY AM -- PRELIM HEARING
11:58 a.m.: Hearing is taking a 90-minute recess for lunch.
11:48 a.m.: Drouaillet detailed a Jan 4, 2021, a text message chain that included Maya and their sister Jane. In the thread, Maya asked if she could borrow $10,000 for a divorce attorney and also asked the two sisters to take her Rolex watches and some of her Louis Vuitton bags.
Drouaillet responded to Maya’s text, suggesting she would pay $5,000 and Jane would pay another $5,000.
In the text chain, Maya said she planned to file for divorce after her daughter Lara’s Jan. 10 birthday. Maya wanted to celebrate Lara's birthday in Big Bear on the weekend of Jan. 8.
11:30 a.m.: Drouaillet said during a trip to Glamis, her sister told her that was going to file for divorce, and it was going to be “messy.” According to Drouaillet, Maya told her that she wanted to file for divorce as soon as she could.
Drouaillet said her sister mentioned that she did not have control of the family finances, noting that a safe in their home contained cash and other valuables, but she did not have the safe’s access code.
“If something happens to me, it’s going to be Larry,” Drouaillet said her sister told her.
Drouaillet said she told Maya to “be careful.” Asked by Bowles why she told her sister that, Drouaillet said she felt Larry had a tendency to snap and could hurt her.
Drouaillet detailed an incident during a snowboarding trip years before where she said Larry was involved in an altercation with a parking attendant in a drop-off area. According to Drouaillet, Larry, who was driving a vehicle with family members inside, struck the attendant because he would not let the vehicle through.
"We were all shocked that he did that," Drouaillet said of Larry.
According to Drouaillet, her brother-in-law said that he snapped and did not remember why.
11:15 a.m.: Drouaillet described a Christmas 2020 gathering in which Larry would try to talk to Maya, but she would become irritated by him. Drouaillet said Larry would react angrily to Maya’s response.
10:58 a.m.: Drouaillet told Bowles that Larry asked her advice on situations such as how she dealt with the end of her first marriage.
In one text exchange, Drouaillet said Larry sent her a screenshot referencing vitamins and supplements needed to help with a mid-life crisis. She said Larry felt Maya was going through a mid-life crisis.
10:51 a.m.: During a trip to Lake Havasu in 2020, Drouaillet said she noticed Larry and her sister were “fighting.”
10:48 a.m.: Drouaillet said Larry began reaching out to her for marriage-related advice via phone calls and text messages. She did not recall exactly when the calls/texts began.
10:35 a.m.: Maricris Drouaillet's testimony resumes. Bowles is asking her to identify family members in series of photographs.
10:15 a.m.: Judge calls for 15-minute recess.
10:06 a.m.: Drouaillet said she lived with Larry and Maya in Murrieta from 2005 to 2006. After living in Murrieta, the couple moved to the Eastlake area of Chula Vista.
Larry and Maya had been living in their home on Paseo Los Gatos for about five years, Drouaillet said, although she admitted she did not recall the exact amount of time.
Drouaillet confirmed Larry and Maya have three children together – two girls, one boy.
9:58 a.m.: Drouaillet said Maya was 17 and Larry was 16 or 17 -- both in high school -- when they first met.
9:51 a.m.: Maricris Drouaillet confirms photo displayed in court is her sister, May “Maya” Millete. She confirms prosecutor’s question that Maya Millete was 39 years old as of Jan. 23, 2021, and acknowledges her sister is married to Larry Millete.
9:47 a.m.: Garber was excused; next person expected to take the stand will be Maya Millete's sister, Maricris Drouaillet.
9:42 a.m.: Prosecutor Christy Bowles shows Garber several photographs and asks if he recognizes one specific photo he took on Jan. 23, 2021. Garber confirms he took the photo; picture is of a page from a notebook with handwriting on it.
Another photo shown is of a rifle and a shotgun recovered from a safe in a closet. Garber also confirms he took a photo of a computer screen that shows a search history.
9:37 a.m.: Martinez asks Garber if he returned to the home after Jan. 23, 2021, to take photographs. He answered that he returned to the address on July 1, 2021.
After an objection from the prosecution, Martinez said she had no further questions for Garber.
9:23 a.m.: Martinez asks Garber if he spoke to Larry Millete on Jan. 23, 2021, and he confirmed he spoke to Millete. Prosecution objects on grounds of relevancy, but objection is sustained by judge.
Garber said he was instructed to recover a mouth swab from Larry Millete. Garber added he did not take mouth swabs from Larry’s parents and the children.
9:18 a.m.: Larry Millete's attorney Bonita Martinez asks David Garber if any blood was found in the Millete family home on Paseo Los Gatos during a search. Garber said he did not observe any blood in the home and garage.
9:04 a.m.: Larry Millete enters courtroom with his legal representation.
8:50 a.m.: Second day of the preliminary hearing is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m.
By:
ABC 10News Digital Team
Posted at 8:57 AM, Jan 11, 2023
and last updated 5:56 AM, Jan 13, 2023
WATCH LIVE:
NOTE: Judge may order the camera to turn off during certain parts of the hearing (e.g. sidebar). Refresh this story for live updates from the courtroom detailed below.
Live Blog Thursday - Part 2 - Afternoon:
Thursday, Jan. 12 (Day 2):
4:30 p.m.: Court concludes for the day. Drouaillet's testimony will resume at 9 a.m. Friday.
Before the recess, Martinez asked Drouaillet the last time she received a text from May — she replied Jan. 3, 2021. She did not recall when she last spoke with May on the phone. Martinez then asked when exactly Drouaillet believed May was missing. Drouaillet responded
Jan. 9, 2021, the day the family went to the Millete home to confirm May's whereabouts.
When asked if she had any clue where May could have gone, Drouaillet replied she had no idea where she could be.
Martinez tried asking multiple questions about an alleged affair between May and a co-worker that supposedly happened in 2020. The prosecution objected several times, leading to a sidebar discussion. The judge sustained the objections, determining the questions about the alleged affair were irrelevant.
Drouaillet said she heard about the allegation, but she did not believe it.
4 p.m.: Drouaillet testified that at some point in 2020, Larry began frequently calling her brothers and father, seeking advice for how to resolve marital issues with Maya. Drouaillet also received several phone calls from Larry, and she also offered advice to him.
She testified that Larry did not follow their advice.
The defense asked why the couple's marriage problems escalated in 2020. Drouaillet said she could tell the relationship was fracturing based on seeing them argue during get togethers, which she said didn't happen before 2020. The phone calls from Larry were also an indicator about the relationship problems, Drouaillet testified.
Drouaillet also said she didn't hear the contents of those arguments. She testified it was "obvious" in the closing months of 2020 that Maya was over the relationship. Drouaillet said Maya mentioned divorce for the first time during New Year's going into 2021. Drouaillet said earlier in the year though, Maya talked about co-parenting, not divorce, when she stopped living in the home with Larry.
Drouaillet also testified that around Sept. 2020, Maya told her she was going to look for a place of her own. Drouaillet said she was surprised, but she would support her sister's decision to leave Larry.
3:55 p.m.: Defense attorney Martinez asked Drouaillet about a May 2020 camping trip. During the questioning, Drouaillet testified that May appeared happy during activities with the whole group, while Larry was acting quiet.
Drouaillet said the couple left the camp area several times during the trip, and she believed they were fighting whenever they left. She testified that these weren't necessarily big arguments, but they were "talking it out." Whenever they returned to camp, the couple appeared to have worked out the disagreements, Drouaillet testified.
Martinez went on to ask about when Drouaillet learned about Maya leaving Larry and the kids to temporarily live with their brother in May 2020. Drouaillet said she found out after the fact, and mentioned that Larry was not present at another 2020 camping trip.
Martinez then asked if May wanted Larry at the Big Bear trip scheduled for Jan. 2021. Drouaillet testified that she did not know, and she also said May did not express any desire to cancel that trip.
3:30 p.m.: When asked about Larry's control of the finances, Drouaillet testified that Maya told her Larry would find out about everything she purchased on credit cards, and she was surprised Maya did not have any say when it came to money.
Drouaillet testified her sister mentioned her salary was around $150,000 in 2020, and she also testified that Larry made less than Maya.
3:15 p.m.: Court returns from break. The defense continues its cross examination of Maricris Drouaillet, Maya Millete's sister.
Martinez asked Drouaillet about conversations she had with Maya in 2019, specifically asking if Maya reported any domestic violence to her. Drouaillet says she doesn't recall much from those 2019 talks, but she did mention that Maya said she was not allowed to spend money or buy things without Larry's permission.
Martinez then asked Drouaillet if she gave Maya any advice about the situation. She replied yes, but she couldn't remember what exactly she told Maya then. Drouaillet again testified that the relationship soured in 2020.
2:58 p.m.: The judge stepped in and asked defense attorney Martinez to move on from this line of questioning, since the events she asked Drouaillet about happened more than 15 years ago. Martinez said she was trying to establish that Drouaillet knew Larry well because she lived with the couple for a six month period from 2005 to 2006.
Martinez then directly asked Maya if she testifies that she knows Larry fully well, and Drouaillet replied no. She explained that she worked the night shift while living with them, so she saw Larry infrequently. She said between 2006 and 2019, they both attended various family events, like birthdays and holidays, over the years.
Court went into a 15-minute break shortly after.
2:45 p.m.: Drouaillet says she doesn't recall visiting Maya in 2019. The defense asked if other family members alerted Drouaillet about any issues between Larry and Maya in 2019. She replied no.
Answering more questions from the defense, Drouaillet went on to say it was "obvious" in 2020 that the couple was fighting consistently.
Drouaillet testified she does not know when exactly Larry's parents started living in the couple's home, but she estimated they had lived there at least five years.
The defense asked Drouaillet about her time living with Larry and Maya in Murrieta. Drouaillet, her two children and Maya's parents had moved from Hawaii, and they lived in the Millete home from about Oct. 2005 to March 2006.
Drouaillet was asked if the relationship was great at that time, and she said it was good, but there were some small arguments between them from time to time. Drouaillet testified her relationship with Larry back then was good.
Drouaillet also described hearing screams from the bedroom sometimes while living there. When asked if Larry took care of Maya, Drouaillet said he wasn't giving her foot massages or things of that nature, but doing more regular, everyday things, like household chores.
2:32 p.m.: The prosecution finished questioning Drouaillet. Defense attorney Bonita Martinez began her cross examination of Maya's sister. Martinez asked about the early days of Larry and Maya's marriage, especially their time in Hawaii. Drouaillet said it is fair to say she didn't visit her sister much after the couple first got married.
Drouaillet told the court Maya and Larry had a good relationship years ago, and she testified she wasn't concerned about her sister when Maya lived in Virginia. She testified that she didn't have Facebook at that time, since it was well before social media was widely popular. She said her and Maya weren't in touch as consistently during those years.
2:15 p.m.: While answering a question from prosecutors, Drouaillet testified that Larry gained access to Maya's Facebook account and was messaging family members. She said she could tell it was Larry because of the tone
Drouaillet went on to describe some of the early search efforts for Maya — including a hiking trail nearby her house. She testified that Larry said Maya went on a hike before her disappearance. Drouaillet said search parties looked almost every weekend of 2021 for her sister. She said their last search happened in Oct. 2022, but some people are still looking for her.
Drouaillet also described her effort to get the word out about the search for Maya, including in local and national media outlets. The family also posted flyers all over the San Diego area to spread the message. At one point, the prosecution showed a screenshot of Drouaillet's appearance on Dr. Phil from April 12, 2021, as one of the examples of publicizing Maya's disappearance.
Another exhibit showed a People Magazine cover highlighting several missing mom cases. Maya's face was one of several featured.
Drouaillet became emotional at this point and used tissues to wipe away a few tears.
The family also created flyers to distribute in Hawaii.
2:10 p.m.: Drouaillet testified that as she and other family members asked neighbors the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, for any surveillance video possibly showing Maya, Larry stayed at home. A family member took the kids to church, then to a park to celebrate Lara's birthday.
The prosecution then asked about any other travel plans Drouaillet and Maya discussed in 2020. She said aside from the Jan. 2021 Big Bear trip, she invited Maya to come with her to Hawaii at the end of March. Drouaillet said the kids were welcome too, but Maya told her she wasn't sure if Larry would come as well. Maya also expressed a desire to return to Italy to visit a close friend, according to Drouaillet's testimony.
2 p.m.: Drouaillet described her experience speaking to Chula Vista police as she and the family reported Maya missing. Officers came to the home at around 1 or 2 a.m., Drouaillet recalled, and she told them about her concerns and the lack of communication with Maya.
Drouaillet said Larry Millete did not seem concerned or and was acting "normal" despite the fact her sister hadn't come home and it was quite late. The prosecution asked if she thought Larry's reaction was unusual at all, and she replied yes.
Drouaillet said all Larry could tell her at the time was that Maya was probably at the park.
1:55 p.m.: The prosecution asked Drouaillet about her visit to the Millete home on
Jan. 9, 2021, two days after family members had last seen or heard from Maya. Drouaillet testified she was in denial that something was wrong with her sister. She looked around the house, including the master bedroom and bathroom, and a closet.
Drouaillet testified she wanted to find out if her sister was there.
The prosecution showed crime scene pictures of the closet that were taken on Jan. 23, 2021, when Chula Vista police served a search warrant at the home. Drouaillet said the closet was much tidier in the picture than when she was there on Jan. 9, 2021. She also pointed out several of Maya's purses in the photo.
More crime scene photos were shown in court, and Drouaillet described discrepancies from what she had seen two weeks prior.
1:30 p.m.: Court is back in session. Maricris Drouaillet, Maya Millete's sister, returns to the stand and the prosecution continues its line of questioning.
Following the preliminary hearing, the judge in the case of missing Chula Vista mom Maya Millete will determine if her husband Larry Millete will stand trial.
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Seems there were also many motions heard today and why only two witnesses took the stand today.
