SAN DIEGO —
The preliminary hearing for Larry Millete, the Chula Vista husband accused of murdering his wife Maya, continued Tuesday morning.
A two-minute video that appeared to have been secretly recorded by Maya of an argument between her and Larry was played in the courtroom. It's the first time during this hearing, we hear Maya's voice and her own words.
The couple argued about the affair Larry suspected she had had. "I don't know what you guys were doing 7:00 or 8:00 at night all the time," said Larry. "And your projects and your team projects, mentoring and all that stuff."
At one point, Maya responds: "I'm asking you why you would say stuff like that. And then you go there, and then you want to be together?" said Maya.
The video came to light during Inspector Matthew Grindley's testimony.
Grindley returned to the witness stand Tuesday and testified about the contents of Maya's iPhone that he was able to recover from her iCloud account. He testified the video was uploaded in October of 2020.
Maya's actual iPhone has never been found by investigators.
WATCH: Day 9 | Tuesday, Jan. 24 Morning Session:
WATCH: Day 9 | Tuesday, Jan. 24 Afternoon Session:
From September 2020 until the day May "Maya" Millete vanished, her husband, Larry Millete, paid $1,154.05 for spells he believed could make his wife love him and remain in their marriage, District Attorney's Office Investigator James Rhoades testified Tuesday. In other instances, Millete sought to have his wife injured, sick or suffer from nightmares either as a form of punishment or so she would dependent on him, according to testimony.
The number of spell purchases increased in December 2020 and through the first week of January 2021, before ceasing on Jan. 7, 2021, the day May disappeared.
Larry was arrested in October 2021 on suspicion of murdering May, who has not been seen or heard from after that day. Tuesday's testimony marked nearly two weeks of Millete's preliminary hearing, during which a judge will rule whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial for murder.
Rhoades testified that the initial email communication investigators discovered between Millete and spell casters sought a "powerful love spell to bind my wife, May T. Millete, to me forever" and "to keep her from hurting our family even further."
On Jan. 7, he told a spell caster, "I'm shaking inside and ready to snap. May's really out of control and that's an understatement. I really try and stay calm to be a better person, but too much is too much."
His last email to a spell caster before May's disappearance -- a Jan. 7, 2021 email sent at 4:40 p.m. -- sought to "make her miserable without me."
No such messages were sent on Jan. 8 and no other spells were purchased regarding May after that. On Jan. 9, he asked a spell caster to remove any hexes from May and move them to the man he believed May had an affair with.
Police and prosecutors allege that between 6:45 a.m. until around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2021, Millete's phone was turned off. Surveillance camera footage shows a black Lexus SUV, allegedly driven by Millete, leave his home at about 6:45 a.m. and return to the home at around 6 p.m.
Rhoades testified that he conducted an analysis that cross-referenced the Lexus' mileage, cell tower records, financial activity, work schedules, witness statements, social media activity and other information to calculate how often the Milletes' vehicles were used during December of 2020 and January of 2021.
The investigator said that, based on that analysis, there were 444 to 692 miles of driving that could not be accounted for on Jan. 8.
After family members lost touch with May, her younger brother, Jay-R Tabalanza, went to the Millete house on the evening of Jan. 8 to look for her. He testified that Larry told him he had just gotten home from work.
Other evidence introduced earlier in the preliminary hearing indicated Millete did not go to work on Jan. 8.
Larry told investigators he was at Solana Beach all day with his son, according to testimony. Det. Jesse Vicente of the Chula Vista Police Department testified that investigators could not find any evidence confirming Millete was at the beach that day.
Rhoades, the final witness in the preliminary hearing, is expected to conclude his testimony on Wednesday.
WATCH RELATED: Preliminary hearing for Larry Millete wraps up day 8 in Downtown San Diego court
BACKGROUND ON THE CASE:
Since January 2021, the disappearance of Chula Vista mother Maya Millete has been under investigation by authorities and the subject of local and national news. The Chula Vista Police Department and multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, have looked into her disappearance for more than 2 years.
The last time Maya was heard from was on Jan. 7, 2021. Her husband Larry Milete was arrested on October 19, 2021 and charged with murder.
This preliminary hearing is not a trial. There are no jurors. Evidence will be presented, and witnesses will testify over two to three weeks in the Downtown San Diego courthouse. In the end, Judge Dwayne Moring – a former public defender and a former San Diego prosecutor – will decide if there is enough evidence for Millete to go to trial for murder.