MILLETE TRIAL HALTED FOR COMPETENCY CHECK
Man has pleaded not guilty to murdering wife, who is missing
Criminal proceedings were suspended this week in the case of a Chula Vista man accused of killing his still-missing wife, after his attorney raised questions about his mental competency.
Larry Millete, 40, will be evaluated by a doctor to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.
The ruling, issued Thursday by Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Dwayne K. Moring, places the criminal case in limbo
for now.
Millete has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges following the disappearance and presumed
death of Maya “May” Millete, who was 39 when she vanished. She was last seen Jan. 7, 2021, at the Chula Vista home the couple shared with their three young children.
Larry Millete was scheduled to start a three-week preliminary hearing later this month, at which the prosecution lays out evidence in hopes that the judge will order the defendant to stand trial. That hearing is now on hold.
Instead, a hearing regarding his competency is set for Aug. 29 at the downtown San Diego courthouse. A defendant is deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial if they are unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings and unable to assist their attorney in their defense.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Millete killed his wife after she sought a divorce.
Prosecutors said he employed the services of “spellcasters” through which he hoped magic could be used to convince his wife to stay. Later, he allegedly asked the spellcasters to render her incapacitated so she could not leave the home.
His messages to spellcasters abruptly halted after Jan. 8, save for one message on Jan. 9, in which he allegedly requested any hexes on his wife be removed, according to an arrest warrant declaration.
Millete, who was arrested 10 months later, has denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance. In a separate court case, Millete wrote in a declaration that he believed his wife left voluntarily.