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An unsettling message comprising just 11 words, allegedly penned by missing California mother Maya Millete to her husband, was revealed in court on Tuesday. This revelation is part of the prosecution’s disturbing case against Larry Millete, who stands accused in her murder trial.
Maya’s poignant words were: “Let me find my peace . . . I cannot find it with you.”
This significant message emerged from a letter Maya reportedly addressed to Larry in August 2020, several months before she disappeared at the age of 39 from their Chula Vista residence in San Diego on January 7, 2021.
Larry Millete faces charges of murdering his wife, although her body has never been recovered.
The letter, described as damning, was read aloud during the trial’s fifth day of testimony, casting a stark light on the deteriorating state of the Milletes’ marriage, according to reports from FOX5.
“You are right, I am not myself anymore. I’ve turned into this bitter, angry person who is careless with her words,” Maya wrote.
“But that’s what our marriage has turned me into. And I hate it.”
She described the relationship as “unhealthy” and “toxic,” adding: “With the kids in mind, I want to be happy and happy is not with you.”
“I’ve been gone mentally and emotionally, for a very long time,” the letter continued.
Jurors also heard testimony about troubling internet searches allegedly discovered on devices inside the Millete home.
Former Chula Vista Police Department forensic specialist David Garber testified that investigators found searches including “how to mentally torture someone with words,” “psychological torture,” and “how to mentally torture someone.”
Garber further testified that investigators discovered what could be evidence of a small bloodstain in the trunk of Larry’s Lexus, along with streaks suggesting the area had been wiped clean.
Still, Garber noted the vehicle was not officially considered a crime scene.
Detective Ryan Culver testified officers found no signs of a struggle or foul play when they first entered the Millete family home on Paseo Los Gatos the night Maya was reported missing.
Larry allowed officers into the house and cooperated with investigators at the time, Culver testified.
The court also heard from digital forensic experts who extracted evidence from the couple’s electronics and vehicles.
NCIS digital forensic examiner Amy Voight testified she decrypted Maya’s Navy-issued work laptop in February 2021 because the device was encrypted due to her job with the Navy.
Former CVPD Digital Evidence Unit employee Glenn Stark testified he processed evidence from a MacBook seized from the home, Larry’s Lexus, and Maya’s Jeep.
Stark told jurors he removed an SD card from the Lexus and extracted the infotainment system from Maya’s Jeep before turning the data over to detectives.
Later Tuesday, CVPD Detective Lorenzo Ruiz testified that investigators found no evidence Maya used her credit cards after Jan. 7, 2021, other than automatic payments.
Authorities also found no cellphone activity tied to Maya after her disappearance, Ruiz testified. Investigators checked with Uber, border officials, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement but found no evidence she left the country or used rideshare services.
Ruiz also reviewed neighborhood security footage and testified he saw no indication Maya left the home after Jan. 7.
Additional searches allegedly found on Maya’s laptop included “physical abuse manifesting years after marriage,” searches related to divorce and child support calculators and “Is manhandling a wife physical abuse?”
Many of those searches dated back to August 2020, according to testimony.
The trial is expected to last roughly three months, with 152 people listed as potential witnesses.
Outside the presence of the jury Tuesday, defense attorney Liann Sabatini objected to possible evidence tied to alleged activity on Tinder and Ashley Madison accounts. The evidence has not been shown in court.