Records from a marriage and family therapist who treated a missing and presumed dead South Bay woman will be released to the prosecution and defense, a judge ruled Thursday.
The order to release the records comes about two months before the trial is slated to begin at the Chula Vista courthouse in the case of Larry Millete, husband of May “Maya” Millete, who he is accused of killing.
Typically such records would remain confidential without the patient’s consent, but 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.
May Millete has not been seen or heard from since Jan. 7, 2021. The five-year anniversary of her disappearance fell on Wednesday.
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. The trial 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 regarding their awareness of the facts of the case, given the widespread publicity it has garnered sine Maya Millete’s disappearance.
The defendant’s attorneys have argued that media coverage and press conferences hosted by police and prosecutors may have tainted his chances for a fair trial.
Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena, who will preside over the trial, has denied defense requests to have it moved from the Chula Vista courthouse or out of San Diego County completely. Millete’s attorneys are seeking an unbiased jury pool.
