CHULA VISTA, Calif.
Pablito Tabalanza testified that Larry Millete, his daughter’s husband, had previously told him he wanted to kill someone while at a family party at his home in Moreno Valley, California. Tabalanza took the witness stand to demonstrate that his son-in-law lifted his shirt to reveal a gun in his waistband in the days before his daughter disappeared.
“He said, ‘Dad, I have a gun. I want to kill somebody,'” said Tabalanza, who spoke partly through a translator in the courtroom in Tagalog and intermittent English.
In a sudden burst of emotion, Tabalanza slumped in his chair on the witness stand, throwing his head back and his hands over his eyes, muttering to himself in both languages. Larry Millete, wearing a gray sweater with glasses and his hair tied tightly in a bun, sat quietly with his lawyers as Tabalanza yelled at him.
Family and friends of Maya “May” Millete also became emotional as Tabalanza wept on the witness stand. Defense attorney Liann Sabatini, representing Larry Millete, was also visibly upset after the outburst. San Diego Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena abruptly adjourned the trial as jurors left the courtroom.
“I don’t think it’s any secret that this is very emotional for a lot of people,” Camarena told the jury after the break. “He made allegations and statements about what he thinks is your business. You should ignore those statements of Mr. Tabalanza. They are not part of the record.”
However, Camarena advised jurors that they could take into account the strong emotions that were present in the witness’s testimony.
“Obviously, the emotion, one way or another, stays inside,” he said.
Camarena dismissed jurors for the rest of the day.
Tuesday marks the second day of the long-awaited trial of Larry Millete, who is accused of murdering his wife.
The disappearance of the 39-year-old mother of three drew national attention and extensive media coverage after extensive law enforcement and search and rescue operations failed to locate her. Maya Millete was last seen on January 7, 2021, just two days before a planned trip to Big Bear to celebrate the birthday of one of her children.
Her family reported her missing after they couldn’t find her. She has never been found.
Her family has long maintained that Larry Millete is the culprit. The family has been waiting for the trial after numerous delays since it was first scheduled for 2022.
Larry Millete, 44, has claimed he loves his wife and has previously told the media he believes she can still be alive. He was arrested in October 2021.
It was known among the couple’s family and friends that they were experiencing marital problems and that she had spoken to a divorce lawyer in the weeks before her disappearance.
During testimony Tuesday, Tabalanza said he and his wife arrived at the couple’s home in Chula Vista on January 9, 2021, to find her daughter. He had spoken to his daughter several times before and was troubled by the tone of her voice.
Her voice was sad and heavy, he said.
Larry Millete was downstairs with their children. He said Maya was upstairs but the door was closed. After unlocking the door, they found her credit cards on top of a table. That day, Larry told his father-in-law that he would take care of him and that he would never do anything to hurt Maya, Tabalanza said. Tabalanza described Larry as putting on an act.
The lawyers also questioned witnesses who were familiar with the couple’s marital affairs.
Jasmine Rooker, a former co-worker of Maya Millete, testified that Maya had been romantically interested in at least two other men, one of whom may also be called to testify.
Rooker said Maya Millete was always trying to calm Larry down and was tired of constantly communicating with him on her phone. Despite this, she maintained a positive exterior.
“Over time, she’s telling me things that indicate that Larry is bothering her and he’s not good for her, and she’s smiling,” Rooker told the jury. “I realized she’ll smile at anything. It was in her nature to smile a lot.”
The trial has also attracted intrigue over some of its more unusual aspects, such as Larry Millete’s alleged use of “love spells” to prevent his wife from leaving him.
In the following days, other members of Maya Millete’s family are also expected to testify.
The trial is expected to last about three months.
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