CHULA VISTA (CNS) - One day after a missing Chula Vista woman disappeared without a trace, she and her husband's family members and friends made dozens of unsuccessful attempts to contact the couple, according to testimony in the husband's murder trial Tuesday.
Larry Millete -- who is accused with murdering May Millete, his wife of 20 years, because she sought a divorce -- allegedly left his Chula Vista residence on the morning of Jan. 8, 2021, and did not return for approximately 12 hours.
During that time, loved ones could not reach him or May, as cellular connections to both their phones terminated that morning, according to Peter Villaver, a crime analysis administrator with the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
During Larry Millete's murder trial, Villaver presented a timeline for jurors of various cell phone interactions involving May, Larry and several of their family members in the time period surrounding Jan. 7, 2021, the last day May was seen alive.
May's last confirmed interaction with another person was at around 8:15 p.m. Jan. 7, when she sent her sister a text message about a toy hauler, Villaver testified.
At 1:25 a.m. on Jan. 8, her cell phone terminated all connections, with its last known location centered somewhere in the San Miguel Ranch neighborhood of Chula Vista, where the Millete residence is located, according to Villaver.
At 6:35 a.m., connections for Larry's cell phone also ended, Villaver said.
Ten minutes later, surveillance footage captured the Millete family's Lexus SUV departing the home.
Investigators have been unable to pinpoint Larry Millete's whereabouts for approximately the next 12 hours. Larry later told investigators that he had taken his young son to the beach that day, though prosecutors contend no evidence of a beach trip could be confirmed.
Larry did not show up for work that morning, setting off a chain of text messages and phone calls to both Larry and May.
Villaver testified that Larry's work supervisor, his father, his mother, his uncle and his aunt made various attempts to reach him. All calls went straight to voicemail and text messages went unanswered, Villaver said.
One such text just before noon from Larry's father, Benito Millete, read, "Larry, Please turn on your phone. Terry your boss is calling you regarding your job!"
More attempts through the afternoon came from Larry's family members, as well as one of May's brothers, Jaypie Tabalanza.
May's family had been expecting her to depart for a family trip to Big Bear to celebrate one of her daughter's birthdays.
"U guys still heading to big bear for Lara's bday," Tabalanza messaged on the afternoon of Jan. 8.
At around 2:20 p.m., Larry's aunt, Kathy Fredericks, called him, again without success, then drove to the Millete household. Villaver testified that surveillance footage captured Fredericks arriving at the Millete residence, then leave about five minutes later.
At 6:06 p.m., Larry returned to the home in the Lexus, Villaver testified.
Another of May's brothers, Jay-R Tabalanza, arrived at the Millete home at 6:28 p.m., following numerous, unsuccessful attempts from May's family members to reach her.
Five minutes later, Larry's phone resumed cellular connections, Villaver testified.
The first cell phone transaction he made that evening was a response to Jaypie Tabalanza's message about the Big Bear trip, in which he wrote, "I don't know depending on your sister."
He later apologized to Tabalanza and explained, "Sorry my phone was dead and I just came home."
Police have said there is no evidence of May leaving the family's Chula Vista home after the afternoon of Jan. 7, nor any evidence to suggest she was alive after that date.
