Preliminary hearings begin on a Chula Vista man charged with the murder of his missing wife Maya Millete.

SAN DIEGO (CUSI) – A man accused of killing his wife, a Chula Vista woman who went missing for more than two years after disappearing from her home, is due to appear in court Wednesday at a hearing to determine whether he will stand trial for her murder.

Larry Millet, 41, is charged with the murder of May “Maya” Millet, 39, the mother of his three children who went missing on January 7, 2021. Millet was arrested in October 2021 on suspicion of killing his wife, whose body has not been found. Since then, he has remained in prison without bail on charges of murder and illegal possession of assault weapons.

Millett denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance, and in a separate court case, he wrote in a statement that he believed his wife left their home voluntarily.

The preliminary hearing, which begins Wednesday, will include some of the first new details of the investigation since Millet’s arrest. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.

Prosecutors say Millet killed his wife because she was seeking a divorce. He allegedly used the services of exorcists, with the help of which, he hoped, it would be possible to use magic to convince his wife to stay. He later allegedly sought spellcasters to incapacitate her so she could not leave the house.

His messages to spellcasters abruptly ceased after January 8, with the exception of one message on January 9 requiring any curses to be removed in May, according to the arrest warrant statement.

Although authorities have not conclusively stated how they believe May Millet died, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stefan stated during a 2021 press conference that a neighbor’s security camera recorded nine loud bangs on the night of her disappearance, shortly before 22: 00. However, it was not possible to confirm whether the sounds in the video were shots.

Although the court ordered Millet to surrender all firearms in his possession, one of his pistols, a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, was missing.

Last year, the murder case was shelved after Millet’s lawyer expressed doubts about his ability to stand trial. A defendant is considered mentally incompetent to stand trial if he cannot understand the essence of a criminal case or help his lawyer in his defense.

The criminal case was reopened approximately four months later.

Maya’s sister, Maricris Droyer, and son-in-law Richard Droyer joined KUSI’s Lauren Finney on Good Morning San Diego ahead of the preliminary hearing.