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SAN DIEGO — Some of the most circumstantial evidence was heard and shown on day seven of the preliminary hearing for Larry Millete.

Chula Vista Police Detective Jesse Vicente testified he believes Larry Millete murdered his wife, Maya Millete. Vicente said during his investigation, it’s always pointed back to who last saw Maya and spoke to her, which was Larry Millete.

Surveillance footage played during court showed Maya driving her Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and arriving at her home on Paseo Los Gatos in Chula Vista around 4:45 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2021. This was the last time she was seen alive.

Media was not allowed to record the video of Maya arriving at her home for the last time as it was played in the courtroom because you could see the Millete children.

Vicente used multiple neighbors’ surveillance video to find any movement in and around the Millete home.

He testified that around 10 p.m. that night, a neighbor’s camera recorded audio of the Millete children playing outside in their backyard. The neighbor told Vicente that it seemed unusual, because it was late at night and it was cold.

A timeline of the events leading up to and after her disappearance can be found here.

At 5:59 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2021, more than 12 hours after Maya was seen going inside the home, Larry appears to be walking out of their home, and backing up their Lexus (which was already backed into the driveway), closer to the garage. He spends several minutes walking around it, locks the vehicle and appears to go back inside.

Around 6:45 a.m., cameras capture the black Lexus leaving the home and doesn’t capture it returning home until 6:06 p.m. that night.

Vincente testified that Larry told him during an interview that he backed the Lexus up to the garage to load ice chests into it that he had allegedly packed for him and his son, Lazarus, to go to the beach. Vicente testified Larry had told him he and Maya had a fight on Jan. 7. During an interview, Vicente said Larry told them him and Lazarus went to Solana Beach, but when he was presented a map to show where he went, he pointed to Torrey Pines State Beach.

The defense cross-examined about any other ways Maya may have left, including climbing over their back fence. The detective said they did not have any camera footage that showed the back of the home, so that is a possibility.

Vicente testified that after Maya went missing, Larry told him his wife was going crazy and he was trying to take care of her. Vincente was informed that Maya had an affair and would leave in the past without Larry’s knowledge.

Vicente testified that Larry had told detectives he bought her material things and allowed her to go out with her friends.

Millete’s search history entailed searches such as:

  • Can you track an iPhone if it’s on airplane mode?
  • Is manhandling a wife physical abuse?
  • Physical abuse manifesting years after in a marriage
  • Subliminal wife training

On Jan. 9, when the family was supposed to be going to Big Bear to celebrate their daughter’s birthday, Vicente said Larry had a conversation with the neighbor.

“He asked his neighbor to detail the Lexus,” Vincente said.

Larry allegedly said that “it was scratched during a jeep trip to Anza-Borrego.” No one has testified yet that the Lexus has been to Anza-Borrego. The Millete’s have four cars: a Toyota truck, a Toyota Sienna, Black Lexus SUV and a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Detectives testified they went through Larry’s phone and could not find any messages to Maya prior to Jan. 9, 2021, which is after she was last seen alive.

“I did try to look through his phone messages and there were no messages prior to January 9,” Vicente said. “He told me that he had to delete messages between him and his wife to save storage on his phone.”