CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — The murder trial against Larry Millete is nearing its end, with closing arguments set to begin Tuesday.
The defense presented and finished its case Thursday, wrapping up in less than 3 hours — a stark contrast to the prosecution's 24-day case. The defense called just 3 witnesses to the stand. Their case, much shorter than the 4 to 5 days Larry's attorney's had initially projected.
Criminal defense attorney Tim Scott, who is not connected to the Millete case, said the brevity of the defense's presentation was not surprising.
"When the prosecution just didn't meet their burden, a short or almost nonexistent defense case can just be a statement saying, 'They didn't meet their burden,'" Scott said.
Scott also said the public should not read into Larry Millete's decision not to testify in his own defense.
"It is his right. Nobody has to take the stand to explain why they're innocent. It's the government or the prosecution's burden to show that they're guilty," Scott said.
Before closing arguments begin Tuesday, the prosecution and defense will argue jury instructions Monday. Scott said attorneys on both sides face a demanding stretch ahead.
"It's a sprint. They're working around the clock. They're not getting a lot of sleep. They're pouring everything they've got into finishing the case strong and then giving the kind of closing that the case deserves," Scott said.
He says closing arguments are one of the few opportunities in a trial where attorneys can speak directly to jurors — in this case, a jury made up of 7 women and 5 men, plus alternates.
Prosecutors say Larry killed his wife, Maya, and disposed of her body so well that it has never been found. The defense has argued there is no evidence Maya was murdered and has suggested she may have left the family home on her own.
Larry Millete's fate will soon be in the hands of the jury, which will decide whether he is guilty of Maya's murder.
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