Podbit · Dateline NBC
The defense drilled one point in cross: not a single spell asked for Maya to disappear or die. Every purchase was about keeping her in Larry's life. It's a thin line between obsession and love — and the defense wants the jury to see a desperate husband, not a cold-blooded killer.
Where this was said
At 6:43 · chapter starts 2:55
Week 5 of the Larry Millete trial brought one of the most unusual witnesses in recent memory to a San Diego courtroom: Frank Peavey, the heavyset redheaded man who online goes by Tess Joy — a long-haired blonde spellcaster. Alexis Rivas walks Alison Barber through the testimony, explaining how Larry paid more than $1,000 to up to five different spellcasters and sent Frank 27 messages a day, compared to the typical client's two. [1] — Alexis Rivas "Larry Millete thought he was communicating with Tess Joy, a mystical blonde woman he met online. In court, the jury met Frank Peavey — an S…" 04:38 The spell requests began with pleas for Maya to love him again, then escalated to explicit sexual demands, requests to punish her, and eventually an ask that she suffer a physical injury such as a broken bone. [2] — Alexis Rivas "Larry Millete's messages to spellcasters started with wanting Maya to love him again, then escalated to explicit sexual demands, requests t…" 05:56 The defense pushed back hard in cross-examination: not one spell asked for Maya to disappear or die — all of them wanted her closer. But prosecutors had a powerful counter-point. After Maya vanished on January 7, 2021, every single spell request about her abruptly stopped — a detail the prosecution is using as circumstantial evidence that Larry knew she was gone for good. Rivas also discusses Jamie Laird, Maya's married coworker with whom she was having an affair, whose timeline with Maya is chilling: the anniversary of their relationship was the day she vanished, and his wife gave birth the very next day. The defense sought to name Laird as an alternate suspect, but the judge ruled the evidence insufficient.
Maya Millete, 39, vanished from her home in Chula Vista on January 7, 2021; no footage exists of her leaving the house.
Larry Millete thought he was communicating with Tess Joy, a mystical blonde woman he met online. In court, the jury met Frank Peavey — an SEO worker by day who claimed to have joined a mystical coven in 1997 and earned a degree from a university that doesn't exist. He sent 27 messages a day to Larry; Frank says most clients send two.
Larry Millete's messages to spellcasters started with wanting Maya to love him again, then escalated to explicit sexual demands, requests to punish her, and even asking for her to suffer a broken bone. When Maya disappeared, every single spell request about her stopped immediately — a pattern prosecutors are using to argue he knew exactly where she was.
Larry Millete sent spellcaster Frank Peavey 27 messages a day, far above the typical 2 messages per day Frank received from other clients.
Larry Millete's spell requests escalated from asking for Maya's love, to explicit sexual demands, to asking that she be punished and suffer a physical injury like a broken bone.
Prosecutors highlighted that after Maya Millete disappeared, all of Larry's spell requests mentioning her abruptly stopped — a detail the prosecution considers highly significant.
Maya Millete was having an affair with her married coworker Jamie Laird, whose wife was three months pregnant when it started. The anniversary of their affair was the same day Maya vanished. The next day, his wife gave birth. The defense wanted to point to Laird as the killer — but the judge ruled there wasn't enough evidence to bring it up in court.
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