CA CA - Maya Millete, 39, missed daughter's birthday, Chula Vista, 7 Jan 2021

[JakeB911]

Hi, I feel that suicide is always a possibility. People sometimes commit suicide in a place where they don't want to be found. I don't think its nearly as likely as what we're thinking happend, but it's definitely possible.

Never something to throw out as a possibility. But one thing the detectives would consider is the likelihood/probability based on Maya’s ethnicity, age, historical mental health, gun ownership status, etc. - all components that affect overall probability vs the type of situation at hand (argument or domestic issues with husband).

Suicide for Asian females are noticeably lower than other ethnicities. And the most common causes of suicide are performed with guns or self suffocation. Not to mention, large majority of suicides are discovered. (Im acting out things an investigator would consider)

If the detectives had an inclination of a potential suicide, very low probability a search warrant would have been issued against a victim (grieving husband). And very likely, the department would urge against one to avoid any potential civil lawsuits Eg. Infliction of Severe emotional distress, and if somehow implicated, Malicious Prosecution, etc.

 

[MinnyPin]

Here’s a case where the husband actually wasn’t responsible. While we wait...

Decades-old secret reveals woman's real killer just before start of longtime suspect's murder trial

 

[Bridger]

Here’s a case where the husband actually wasn’t responsible. While we wait...

Decades-old secret reveals woman's real killer just before start of longtime suspect's murder trial

Fascinating. Thanks for posting. Should be required reading for all of us on websleuths.

 

[NCHydrangea]

For those of you on the fence, or precariously hanging off the edge What is your theory other than the husband did it? How did she leave the house? I'm genuinely curious and open minded, but I can only see one thing, and I need some brainstorming ideas here.

I’m here just precariously dangling on the fence.
A theory that has been foremost in my mind (discounting statistical probability) is that someone developed an unhealthy attachment to May. Maybe someone at work or someone in her Jeep Club or one of the other groups that she was active in. May seems to be a friendly, kind, gregarious woman who participated in a lot of activities without her husband. It doesn’t take too much (of my) imagination to believe that someone mistook her kindness for something else. Going further, if she accepted a ride or an invitation, for whatever reason, from Someone and she thwarted their advances, things may have gone downhill very quickly. My theory is possibly tainted by a old true crime case that I saw a couple of weeks ago.

MOO
IMO

 

[rosesfromangels]

I’m here just precariously dangling on the fence.
A theory that has been foremost in my mind (discounting statistical probability) is that someone developed an unhealthy attachment to May. Maybe someone at work or someone in her Jeep Club or one of the other groups that she was active in. May seems to be a friendly, kind, gregarious woman who participated in a lot of activities without her husband. It doesn’t take too much (of my) imagination to believe that someone mistook her kindness for something else. Going further, if she accepted a ride or an invitation, for whatever reason, from Someone and she thwarted their advances, things may have gone downhill very quickly. My theory is possibly tainted by a old true crime case that I saw a couple of weeks ago.

MOO
IMO

I think the main speculations to date are:
1. Harmed by husband
2. Went hiking and got injured or attacked; yet to be found
3. Went somewhere with an acquaintance and was harmed
4. Despondent, self harm.
5. Ran off to a new life

Have I missed any major speculations?
At present, I still speculate #2 is the most likely.

amateur opinion and speculation

 

[SuziQ]

Here’s a case where the husband actually wasn’t responsible. While we wait...

Decades-old secret reveals woman's real killer just before start of longtime suspect's murder trial

An anomaly. The stats don't lie.

 

[NCHydrangea]

I think the main speculations to date are:
1. Harmed by husband
2. Went hiking and got injured or attacked; yet to be found
3. Went somewhere with an acquaintance and was harmed
4. Despondent, self harm.
5. Ran off to a new life

Have I missed any major speculations?
At present, I still speculate #2 is the most likely.

amateur opinion and speculation

I’m leaning more towards #2, as well.
I hate that I can’t remember her name, but she was recently found deceased in her sleeping bag. She and her husband were getting a divorce and he had moved to VA. There was a lot of finger pointing in his direction, but she was found a few days later.

 

[InSoCal]

I think the main speculations to date are:
1. Harmed by husband
2. Went hiking and got injured or attacked; yet to be found
3. Went somewhere with an acquaintance and was harmed
4. Despondent, self harm.
5. Ran off to a new life

Have I missed any major speculations?
At present, I still speculate #2 is the most likely.

amateur opinion and speculation

Add #6: a job for hire.
#2: there are mountain lions around.

 

[Bridger]

An anomaly. The stats don't lie.

“Stats” are meaningless for individual cases. Who would even bother reading about missing women if “stats don’t lie”? Sure, if you want to put $1 on intimate-partner-did-it for every missing woman (at even odds), you’ll make some money. But dismissing the very real possibility of other perps and/or events because most of the time it’s a husband or boyfriend is myopic. IMO.

 

[cvaldez1975]

IIRC, the husband said his wife would sometimes stay out until 3:30am. Perhaps that is why he suggested they wait until a bit later.

*I have a new speculation for consideration*

Chula Vista is only 1 hour from Tijuana, and they've still been partying hard despite the pandemic. Only since Jan 7 (coincidentally the day Maya went missing), have authorities started to limit various activities to curb COVID.
*If* the characterization of Maya being a big party girl is accurate, I think her going to party in Tijuana is a good possibility. She wouldn't need a passport to get in to Mexico, but she'd need one to get back in to the U.S.

*Does she have a passport and is it missing?*" Border Patrol records should be checked to see if Maya was a frequent flyer to TJ. If this wild card theory is accurate and she met with misadventure in Tijuana, the chances of ever recovering her is not impossible, but certainly not good. Trafficking women in brothels in TJ is a real thing, and most don't escape. They are usually looking for women half her age, but she looks very young.

Tijuana’s ‘restaurant-bars’ ordered to shut down as pandemic drags on | FOX 5 San Diego

Amateur opinion and speculation

not even an hour. like 20 minutes. TJ does have some closures, my BIL lives there. they were placed on the more restrictive SAH order that CA had since december. also u dont need a passport to drive back across.

 

[cvaldez1975]

The Mexican border is still closed though, right?

not really. they say its only for essential but they dont really check too much going INTO mexico.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Thank you for the info @Ryusaki.

I was particularly interested in the back. There is a large fenced terrace. I do not see a gate to the hillside/small canyon behind.
I had wondered if it was possible that Maya left the house through the back, onto a trail, if no surveillance video is found leaving the house from the front, and along whatever her usual path was in the neighborhood to get to any hiking trails.

Large house, with a bedroom downstairs as well.

i think its images 11-12.

 

[BoyThatsWeird]

Add #6: a job for hire.
#2: there are mountain lions around.

While the mountain lion is certainly a possibility, I don't think it's very likely. Since 1986, there have been 18 verified mountain lion attacks in California. Of those, only three were fatal. Ten of those were on adults and eight on minors.

 

[rosesfromangels]

not even an hour. like 20 minutes. TJ does have some closures, my BIL lives there. they were placed on the more restrictive SAH order that CA had since december. also u dont need a passport to drive back across.

Huh? Coming back in to the US they always ask for a passport. Going in to Mexico they don’t.

Depending on what gov project she was working on, she might not have even been allowed to go in to Mexico, or she would have to ask for permission.

amateur opinion and speculation

 

[ljczec]

Hi guys, I don't post much but I'm a San Diego local who has been following this case pretty closely. I just wanted to mention the reason why people think Proctor Valley Road is "spooky". It has to do with a decades-long urban legend of the Proctor Valley Monster. Since the 60's or 70's, before the area was even developed, there were stories about a "monster" that would come out late at night on Proctor Valley, sometimes people would see things in the road, or have headlights tailgating them. I think there were even rumors about seeing a ghostly women on the side of the road appearing to need help. It's just an urban legend that has persisted for a long time in the area. Here is a good write up of the legend, with some pics of how empty and creepy it is out there. https://hiddensandiego.net/things-to-do/places/proctor-valley

In regards to the husband's statements, bars and wineries were all closed during the time May went missing. Most of the actual wineries are in north county which would be an hour drive from Chula Vista. There are also wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe region of Mexico, not sure if they were open at that time but it is a very well known region and popular for San Diegans to visit, they have world class wine and fine dining. It's a bit of a jaunt, over an hour, from the border though, I think taxi's will take you there but not cheap. It's really expensive to stay out there, high class, not like downtown Tijuana.

 

[Season08]

Huh? Coming back in to the US they always ask for a passport. Going in to Mexico they don’t.

Depending on what gov project she was working on, she might not have even been allowed to go in to Mexico, or she would have to ask for permission.

amateur opinion and speculation

Hello! I’m new here, but I have a few questions/concerns.

1. Big Bear was scheduled for Sunday. I imagine they intended to stay for at least one night as it’s not exactly a day trip. However, they stated she didn’t login or report for work Monday. Did she intend to telework from Big Bear during her daughter’s birthday? Curious as to whether she told any coworkers about the trip.

2. I am also curious at to whether she logged in or spoke with anyone work related on 1/7 or 1/8.

3. I can’t imagine driving to the beach with a small child, but leaving my other children and my phone at home. Based on their area, it’s highly likely he would have taken the freeway. The fact LM didn’t seem concerned when MM locked herself in her room, makes me wonder if this is typical behavior. If so, wouldn’t you want to take your phone in case the kids needed to get in touch with you, or were involved in an accident? Curious as to how often he leaves his phone at home when going out.

4. Do we know where LM works? Does he telework as well?

5. LM stated they fought the evening of Thurs. 1/7. He didn’t actually see her Fri. 1/8, but left 2 of the kids with her. However, he heard her making food for herself that evening. How do they do all of this co-parenting without any communication? If it’s common for her to need space or run off, didn’t he think he should at least speak to her 1/8 before leaving the kids with her? How did she know to take care of them while he was gone, and yet know that she didn’t need to cook them dinner (again he was careful to state she cooked for herself).

 

[Eloise]

An anomaly. The stats don't lie.

Well sure, but 'only' 55% of murders of women are intimate-partner murders and this includes family of intimate partners. 16% are complete strangers. Other acquaintances or other family make up the rest. So statistically it's actually really not inevitable that it's the husband, not only in this case but all such cases.

Nearly Half of All Murdered Women Are Killed by Romantic Partners

 

[InSoCal]

not really. they say its only for essential but they dont really check too much going INTO mexico.

I've gone lots of times recently and in 2020. I ate indoors at a restaurant in TJ on MLK day. There are three border crossings in San Diego County. (I think mexicali is in imperial county.) Tijuana, Otay Mesa, and Tecate. Tecate is southeast on the 94. Otay is directly South on the 125. Tijuana is the main one. Mexico now has completely modern infrastructure going in - cameras, sensors etc, but you still just drive right in, unless selected for secondary inspection. That said, in MOO, Mexico, TJ has nothing to do with this.

 

[Curious Me]

...I can’t imagine driving to the beach with a small child, but leaving my other children and my phone at home.

As far as I know, that may be a rumor. No link has been provided to determine if he did go to the beach without his phone on Friday when he left the house with his son. Any link to him admitting he forgot to take his phone along on any day? Can someone provide a link to him admitting where he went on Friday and that he didn't take his phone? I don't think we know yet where he went on Friday.

 

[rosesfromangels]

Well sure, but 'only' 55% of murders of women are intimate-partner murders and this includes family of intimate partners. 16% are complete strangers. Other acquaintances or other family make up the rest. So statistically it's actually really not inevitable that it's the husband, not only in this case but all such cases.

Nearly Half of All Murdered Women Are Killed by Romantic Partners

This excerpt from your article did indeed get my attention...
"...About a third of the time, the couple had argued right before the homicide took place, and about 12 percent of the deaths were associated with jealousy. The majority of the victims were under the age of 40....."

I should also like to point out that "romantic partner" doesn't necessarily mean a spouse.

Amateur opinion and speculation