A CALIFORNIA MOM DISAPPEARS WITHOUT A TRACE - DID HER HUSBAND HAVE A HEX PUT ON HER SO SHE WOULDN'T LEAVE?

"48 Hours" Investigates in "Searching for Maya Millete"

Saturday, Feb. 19

48 HOURS and contributor Jonathan Vigliotti investigate the disappearance of a young California mother and wife, and the case against her husband, in "Searching for Maya Millete," to be broadcast Saturday, Feb. 19 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.

Maya Millete disappeared from her Southern California home in January 2021. Suspicion soon fell on her husband, Larry Millete. He told her family various stories of why his wife was gone, including that she went hiking. From the outside, the Milletes looked like a wonderful family. What investigators learned, however, was that the couple was going through marital problems. Investigators also say Larry Millete had been contacting spellcasters to have a hex put on his wife so she wouldn't leave. In October 2021, Larry Millete was charged with his wife's murder. He has pled not guilty.

"He went on the internet, found a website that does witchcraft, casts spells," says Billy Little, an attorney and former criminal defense investigator for the Navy who helped Maya Millete's family early in the search.

"There are people on the internet that'll sell you for five bucks, you know, how to make a spell that will get her to be attracted to you ... to bind your marriage in blood," says Little.

48 HOURS and Vigliotti report the latest in the case through interviews with family and friends and the continuing search to find her.

"I want her to be found," says Maricris Drouaillet, Maya Millete's sister. "I want to bring her home to her kids, to our families."

How can a young mother of three simply vanish? Larry Millete maintains that his wife left on her own and started a life somewhere else - a claim Maya Millete's s friends strongly refute.

"Maya loved her kids There's no way she would have up and left," says friend Claudia Julao.

"There's somebody out there that knows something, that's seen something. ... They should come forward," says Julao. "Have it in your heart to help us bring her home."

48 HOURS: "Searching for Maya Millete" is produced by Asena Basak. Cindy Cesare is the development producer. Hannah Vair is a producer, and Lauren Turner Dunn is the associate producer. Ken Blum, Jud Johnston, Atticus Brady and Gary Winter are the editors. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

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