CHULA VISTA, Calif. (CNS) - The defense team for Larry Millete, the Chula Vista man accused of killing his wife who remains missing more than four years after vanishing from her home, signaled Monday they will seek to have Millete's murder trial held outside of Chula Vista.
Millete's trial remains on track to begin in January of next year, but if his attorneys' request for a change of venue is granted, the trial will be held at one of San Diego County's other courthouses.
Millete's attorneys are expected to file the change of venue motion later this month, leading to a hearing in August regarding their request.
No reason for the pending change of venue motion was given in court Monday.
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Typically, change of venue motions are made when it's believed the defendant would not receive a fair and impartial trial at the current venue, possibly due to a biased pool of prospective jurors. Sometimes, change of venue requests move trials entirely out of a county, but San Diego Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena said Monday the request was expected to be for another courthouse within San Diego County.
Millete, 43, remains in jail without bail and has been in custody since his arrest in October of 2021 in connection with the disappearance and alleged killing of his wife, May "Maya" Millete, who has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 7, 2021.
Prosecutors allege that after she sought to divorce her husband, Millete enlisted family members and "spell casters" to try to compel May to give up her plans to leave him. However, his requests to convince May to remain in the marriage abruptly ended following her disappearance, according to prosecutors.
Millete faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of murder, plus a felony count of possessing an assault weapon.
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