CHULA VISTA, Calif. (CNS) - Records from a marriage and family therapist who treated Maya Millete will be released to the prosecution and defense in preparation for her husband's upcoming murder trial, a judge ruled Thursday.
The order to release the records comes about two months before Larry Millete's trial is slated to begin at the Chula Vista courthouse.
While typically such records would remain confidential without the patient's consent, they were ordered released pursuant to evidentiary guidelines that deem a person to be presumed dead if they haven't been heard from in five years. A "personal representative" for the deceased patient would then have the privilege to release such records, but no such person exists, attorneys said Thursday.
Maya Millete has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 7, 2021, with the five-year anniversary of her disappearance falling on Wednesday.
CONTINUING COVERAGE: The Search for Maya Millete
Prosecutors allege Larry Millete killed her after she sought to divorce him. He faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of murder, plus a felony count of possessing an assault weapon.
Prospective jurors are expected to report to the Chula Vista courthouse next month to be evaluated for their fitness to sit on the trial, which is slated to begin March 9 and is estimated to last three months.
Juror questionnaires are still being finalized, but are expected to pose questions to prospective jurors regarding their awareness of the facts of the case, given the widespread publicity it has garnered.
Millete's attorneys have argued the media coverage and press conferences hosted by police and prosecutors may have tainted Millete's chances for a fair trial. Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena, who will preside over the trial, has denied defense requests to have the trial moved away from the Chula Vista courthouse or out of San Diego County entirely, which Millete's attorneys argued would provide him with a more unbiased jury pool.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
