A man charged with murdering his wife, a Chula Vista woman who remains missing more than nine months after disappearing from her home, was accused Wednesday of violating the terms of a protective order prohibiting him from contacting his children while jailed.
Larry Millete, 40, who is accused of killing 39-year-old May "Maya" Millete, the mother of his three children, has made 129 jail calls since his arrest last week, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
According to Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles, Millete has spoken to his children — ages 11, 10, and 5 — during an undetermined number of the calls, which the prosecutor said happened despite a judge ordering him last week against having any contact with the children.
Bowles said he has made "disparaging" remarks about his wife's family in some of the calls and also suggested the two oldest children watch a prison movie called "Shot Caller" to better understand his current situation.
Millete was not served a physical copy of the judge's order during his arraignment last Thursday, which he and his attorney suggested led to confusion over its parameters.
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While giving the order last week, San Diego Superior Court Judge Maryann D'Addezio said she did not read the children's names out loud in open court at his defense attorney's request. She told Millete on Wednesday, "I don't for a minute believe you didn't understand who I was talking about," and reiterated that the order was "not a suggestion and it's not a request."
D'Addezio further ordered that Millete's phone privileges in jail be limited to contact with his attorney.
Prosecutors allege the defendant killed his wife after she sought a divorce. Authorities say May Millete has not been seen or heard from since the night of Jan. 7.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, the defendant sought desperately to keep his wife in the relationship and went as far as employing the services of "spell casters," through which he hoped magic could be used to convince his wife to stay. Later, he allegedly sought for the spellcasters to render her incapacitated so she could not leave the home.
The investigation into the alleged murder and her whereabouts remain ongoing. Police are seeking information from the public related to a missing .40-caliber handgun owned by Millete, as well as the movements of his Lexus GX460 with a personalized license plate "Maylani" on Jan. 8, when investigators believe he disposed of his wife's body.
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Following his arrest, Millete has remained jailed without bail, though a hearing is set next week to determine whether some amount of bail should be set.
Prosecutors have argued in court documents that bail should not be granted due to threats of violence made toward a man he believed his wife was having an affair with.
According to the prosecution's motion to deny bail, Millete asked a relative whether they could connect him with someone who could "get the other guy." Millete allegedly was willing to pay $20,000 for this, and Millete's relative believed the defendant was "trying to find someone to possibly kill the man," court documents state.
In addition to the numerous spells Millete allegedly sought to have cast on his wife, prosecutors say he sought to buy a "Death Spell" to target the man, as well as a spell to "punish" the man's unborn child.
Prosecutors allege that if released, Millete would pose harm to the man, as well as his children, and also represents a flight risk now that a murder charge is hanging over his head.
