Unfaithful wife vanished before she could leave husband...then cops found HEMLOCK in his home, murder trial told

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:22, 19 May 2026 | Updated: 22:25, 19 May 2026 A vial of hemlock was found inside a man's home after his unfaithful wife vanished without a trace five years ago, a murder trial was told.  Larry Millete, 44, is accused of murdering his wife, May 'Maya' Millete, who went missing on January 7, 2021, after getting home from work in Chula Vista, California. The then 39-year-old mother of three, who had an affair with her co-worker and considered divorcing Larry, was last seen pulling her car into the driveway, and has not been seen since.  Larry is believed to be the person who knows what happened to Maya, and on October 19, 2021, he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty, claiming his wife ran off on her own accord.  In the state of California, prosecutors can charge a person with murder when the victim is presumed dead and when no body has been located.  Larry's trial kicked off on Monday inside the South Bay courthouse, where San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles told jurors that hemlock - an incredibly poisonous and deadly herb - was found inside the family home.  During a search of the couple's home, investigators uncovered a vial containing an unknown liquid substance. Testing soon revealed it was the fatal plant, Bowles revealed, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.  Hemlock, also known as Conium Maculatum, attacks a person's nervous system and can lead to nausea, vomiting, rapid heart rate, and cause the lungs to shut down.  May 'Maya' Millete went missing on January 7, 2021, after getting home from work in Chula Vista, California. She has not been seen or heard from ever since Her husband and father to her three children, Larry Millete, 44, is accused of murdering her. His trial kicked off on Monday inside the South Bay courthouse The discovery wasn't the only shocking find in the investigation, as investigators also noted that Larry Googled the word 'hemlock' and searched for poisons that could quickly kill someone, Bowles said, per the report.  Meanwhile, Larry's defense attorney Colby Ryan disputed the prosecutor's claim, stating that three of the four tests conducted on the substance showed zero evidence of hemlock, the outlet stated.  Ryan also noted that the fourth test could have provided a false-positive result because of a plant that grows near hemlock, though no further details were provided.  The once picture-perfect family had their lives turned upside down the day Maya went missing.  They were set to go on a planned trip to Big Bear Lake for their daughter's 11th birthday just days later, but after failing to show up for the celebration, Maya's sister, Maricris Drouaillet, reported her missing on January 9 of that year.  Maya's car was still parked in the driveway of her and her husband's five-bedroom home, but all texts to her phone went unanswered, and calls went to voicemail.  Drouaillet previously told the Daily Mail that Maya had spoken with two divorce attorneys in the days before her disappearance, and that she eerily warned her sister that the split was going to be 'messy.'  Maya also told Drouaillet that if anything happened to her, 'it's going to be Larry,' her sister said.  During a search of the couple's home (pictured), investigators uncovered a vial containing an unknown liquid substance. Testing soon revealed it was the fatal plant, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles told jurors on Monday Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena, who is presiding over the case, decided last month that the trial will not be live-streamed or recorded because it could affect the proceedings. (Pictured: Larry during his arraignment on October 21, 2021) Investigators also previously stated that Larry had sent hundreds of emails to 'spellcasters' to 'hex' his wife before she went missing.  In one correspondence, he allegedly emailed a charmer asking for a spell that would cast physical harm on his wife.  'Can you hex to have her hurt enough that she will have to depend on me or need my help?' Larry wrote, according to a report by Barry Littler, an ex-criminal defense investigator for the Navy.  'She's only nice to me when she needs me or [is] sick. Thanks again. Maybe [an] accident or broken bone,' Larry added in the email, per the report.  The trial, which is set to last about three months, will delve into two sides: Larry allegedly taking his wife's life because he was not content with a divorce, and Maya willingly disappearing.  During opening statements, Bowles painted a picture of a wife who had been unhappy in her marriage for years, and a husband who was not willing to let her leave him.  The prosecutor told jurors that 'divorce was not an option' for Larry, and because of that, he murdered her.  'Rather than let her leave, he killed her,' Bowles said, adding that at the end of the trial the jury will see 'that May Millete is dead and that the defendant killed her.' Ryan acknowledged that the case is a 'tragedy,' but authorities made his client the one to blame without looking at other potential suspects.  According to Ryan, Maya's lover who she had an affair with, and his pregnant county sheriff's deputy wife, had not been probed in the case, according to the outlet.  He applauded Bowles for telling a 'tragic, emotional [and] provocative' story in her opening statement, but challenged it by stating that it could only be true if Larry 'committed the perfect murder.'  While jurors listened to the start of the trial, family members of both Maya and Larry packed inside the courtroom.  Attorneys and reporters not directly involved in the case sat inside another courtroom, where they watched a live video of the proceedings. The once picture-perfect family had their lives turned upside down the day she went missing, and were set to go on a planned trip to Big Bear Lake for their daughter's 11th birthday just days later Maricris Drouaillet, Maya's sister, previously told the Daily Mail that Maya (pictured) had spoken with two divorce attorneys in the days before her disappearance, and that she eerily warned her sister that the split was going to be 'messy' Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena, who is presiding over the case, decided last month that the trial will not be live-streamed or recorded because it could affect the proceedings.  When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment, a spokesperson for Bowles' office said: 'We will not be making any comments on this case during its pendency.'  The Daily Mail also contacted Ryan for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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