CHULA VISTA (KGTV) — NOTE: This page will be updated throughout the day.
5:30 p.m. — Defense attorney Colby Ryan spent much of Monday afternoon's cross-examination highlighting inconsistencies between Jamey Laird's trial testimony and his previous statements to investigators.
Laird repeatedly acknowledged that he lied to police, his wife, family members, supervisors, and coworkers about his affair with Maya Millete, admitting he lied about the affair.
When asked whether he had been truthful with investigators, Laird initially said he had "might have held back some information" before ultimately agreeing that he lied.
Questioning focused heavily on the timeline of the affair and efforts to keep it hidden.
Laird agreed that the relationship became physical in early January 2020. He also acknowledged signing statements under penalty of perjury, claiming his relationship with Millete was strictly professional.
The defense drew attention to January 2021, when Laird testified that "things blew up" after Larry Millete contacted Laird's wife and disclosed information about the ongoing affair and an abortion.
Laird agreed that concerns about a possible internal affairs investigation resurfaced at that point and that he was worried about the consequences.
Jurors also heard testimony about discussions between Laird and Millete regarding deleting communications and concerns that workplace chats could be audited.
Laird admitted he regularly erased messages across multiple platforms, telling jurors, "I've deleted messages on every platform."
Ryan questioned Laird extensively about the couple's communications through Instagram, Microsoft Teams, and other platforms. Laird admitted that much of their communication was sexual in nature. He agreed that a large portion of their Instagram conversations involved sexting, as well as the exchange of photos and videos.
The defense also revisited the steps Laird took after the affair came under scrutiny. Laird testified that by January 2021, he feared his life was "f---ed," worried about investigators uncovering communications, and discussed deleting evidence with Millete.
Ryan questioned Laird about his claim that he stopped communicating with Millete in an effort to save his marriage.
However, Laird acknowledged that his wife was still unaware of the affair at that time and said he could not remember exactly when he eventually disclosed the relationship to her.
Laird was dismissed from the stand but may be called back for further questioning.
1 p.m. — The man that Maya Millete was having an affair with said he was in love with her and that he became increasingly concerned about her safety.
For the first time, jurors heard from Jamey Laird, a co-worker with whom Maya developed a romantic relationship.
Laird said that they met in July 2019 at work, where they were both employed as Navy contractors.
By January 2020, he testified that their relationship had become more than a friendship. Laird and Maya, whom he called May, were both married at the time.
By the following month, there were growing suspicions of an affair. There was a meeting between Laird, Maya, Larry and Maya’s direct supervisor, where they denied it.
At the time, Laird said he was “just trying to protect everyone involved,” and they were trying not to hurt their spouses.
Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles asked how Laird felt about Maya at that time. He said it was a “newlywed feeling” that developed into a “deeper love.”
They confided in each other about everything, saying he felt as if it were “us against the world.”
Their communications were primarily through Instagram, where he said Maya had multiple accounts. They had nicknames for their spouses. Laird testified that Larry was called “V” for Voldemort, the character in Harry Potter that he described as an “evil wizard.”
Laird said that when Maya went missing, he was in the hospital with his wife, who was giving birth to their child.
He learned about Maya's disappearance on Jan. 10, 2021, from Maya's relative and a friend. Laird said he was a "little scared" when he heard she was missing.
