Missing mom Maya Millete’s explosive journal entries read aloud in San Diego murder case against Navy optician husband

Explosive journal entries written by missing Chula Vista mother Maya Millete were read aloud in court Monday, revealing her deep fears her husband Larry Millete could harm her and accusing him of abuse.

The comments surfaced during the 12th day of Larry Millete’s murder trial, NBC7 reports. Larry is accused of butchering his wife after she vanished on January 7, 2021, and concealing her body.

Lead investigator James Rhoades, who has worked the case for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office since 2021, testified about evidence recovered during the investigation, including notes found during the search of the Millete family home in the San Miguel Ranch neighborhood.

The handwritten entries, addressed to Maya’s two daughters, included allegations dating back to 2012. “Your dad and I had a huge fight tonight,” one entry stated. “It’s the breaking point for me.”

Maya also wrote: “He abuses me physically. … I want to be strong, so he never puts his hands on me again.” In another passage, she wrote, “I’m literally afraid of your dad sometimes. He’s capable of hurting me.”

She also alleged, “Nothing stops him from forcing himself on me,” before apologizing to her daughters that their family “can’t be whole.”

Rhoades testified about cellphone records recovered during the investigation. Jurors heard that investigators did not find a direct text message thread between Larry, a former Navy optician, and Maya on his phone.

Instead, they found a group chat involving Larry, Maya and Maya’s work phone from June 2020, when Maya had temporarily moved out of the family home.

According to Rhoades, Larry sent 473 of the 587 messages in the conversation, many of which asked Maya to return. One message appeared to reference infidelity, with Larry writing: “I only strayed once. I promised to never do it again.”

The trial also returned to testimony from Maya’s sister-in-law Genesis Tabalanza, who spent days on the witness stand as defense attorneys reviewed hundreds of text messages she exchanged with Larry in 2020.

The messages touched on Larry’s efforts to save the marriage, his struggles with giving Maya space, his attempts to investigate an alleged affair, and concerns about the couple’s three children.

Prosecutors later asked Tabalanza whether she believed Maya would ever voluntarily leave her children behind.

“Of course not,” she replied. “She would not abandon her kids.”

Jurors also heard from a witness who testified Millete was making plans for the future shortly before her disappearance, undercutting the defense argument that she left on her own.

Former colleague Claudia Julao testified Millete had discussed estate planning and wanted to ensure her children would be cared for if something happened to her. Julao said Maya Millete planned to gather financial information after the new year because Larry controlled the family finances, but never followed up.

On June 1, jurors in the trial heard dramatic testimony as the district attorney walked them through surveillance footage, cellphone evidence and key moments investigators believe mark significant breaks in the case.

Damning footage showed a freezer being wheeled out of her Chula Vista home and loaded into a vehicle before it departed.

One clip played in court showed Maya Millete near her vehicle while her young son repeatedly asked, “Mommy, can I come to the car wash? Can I come to the car wash, Mommy?”

After reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance recordings from neighborhood cameras and Ring cams, investigators concluded there was no video showing Maya Millete leaving the family home after she went back inside at approximately 4:45 p.m.

Her remains have never been found as Larry Millete continues to maintain his innocence.

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