A California judge sentenced Larry Millete to 25 years to life in prison Monday for murdering his wife Maya, whose body has never been found. The Chula Vista mother vanished from her home on January 7, 2021, leaving behind three children who may never know where their mother is buried.
A San Diego jury convicted Millete in July after prosecutors built their case without recovering Maya’s remains. Superior Court Judge Dwayne Moring handed down the sentence after two hours of wrenching victim impact statements from family members who begged Millete to reveal where he hid his wife’s body.
Daughters Plead for Answers From Their Father
Maricris Drouaillet, Maya’s older sister and now legal guardian of the couple’s children, spoke directly to her brother-in-law in court. “The search consumes our lives,” she told Judge Moring. “I hope he finds peace, and I hope it brings him a change of heart and he tells us where my sister is so we can lay her to rest.”
The family’s three daughters attended the hearing, confronting the father who took their mother from them. Their pleas for closure went unanswered as Millete remained silent about Maya’s location.
A Case Built on Evidence, Not a Body
Prosecutors convinced jurors that Larry Millete murdered his 39-year-old wife even without physical remains. The couple’s Chula Vista home became the center of a multi-year investigation that ultimately led to Millete’s arrest and conviction.
Drouaillet thanked law enforcement and prosecutors for securing the maximum sentence despite the challenge of trying a murder case without a victim’s body. Such convictions require prosecutors to build overwhelming circumstantial cases through witness testimony, forensic evidence, and proof of motive.
The 25-years-to-life sentence means Millete will be eligible for parole only after serving a quarter century behind bars. But for Maya’s family, no prison term can substitute for the closure they desperately seek. Until Millete reveals where he hid his wife’s remains, her relatives say the search will continue to consume their daily lives.
Key Points
- Larry Millete received 25 years to life for murdering his wife Maya, last seen January 7, 2021
- Maya’s three daughters and sister begged him in court to reveal where he hid her body
- Prosecutors secured the murder conviction without recovering Maya’s remains
https://www.courthousenews.com/man-sentenced-for-murdering-wife-as-family-demands-to-know-where-her-body-is/ – November 03, 2026
