Four years since Maya Millete went missing, kids making progress

The sister and brother-in-law have guardianship of Maya's three children.

Author: David Gotfredson

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — It’s been four years since Maya Millete went missing from her home in Chula Vista on January 7, 2021.  Her body still has not been found and her husband, Larry Millete, remains in jail charged with Maya’s murder.  His trial is set for July 7.

Maya’s sister and brother-in-law, Maricris and Richard Drouaillet, were granted custody the missing woman’s three children in August, following a drawn-out court battle with the paternal grandparents.

“It's been a busy household for us, and it's a learning process again, doing schoolwork for the little ones and homecoming for high school,” said Maricris Drouaillet.

The family spent the holidays at the Glamis sand dunes.

“There's been progress, you know, a lot of progress with the kids.  So, we are happy with that, you know, with the guardianship, them being with us.  We're very blessed and grateful for that,” said Maricris, who posted the following statement on Facebook:

"Our lives changed on January 7, 2021 when our sister Maya disappeared. We had done everything in our power to find her, from putting up flyers to coordinating searches every weekend. It’s been a complete nightmare losing her, and the heartache still lingers.

With her disappearance, we also lost touch with her three children with whom we were close. So over the past three years, they did not participate in any searches or attended prayer vigils, walks, and hikes that we’ve arranged to honor their mom. We were heartbroken. It was like losing Maya all over again.

Last August, however, things shifted to our favor: With God’s grace, we were granted guardianship of Maya’s three children.

We had longed to be with Maya’s children for years. But when they came to live with us, they were not the same children we once knew. Their guards were up, and hearts filled with negative perceptions of our family which made reconnecting with them on the emotional level seem almost impossible. But through patience, love, and support from the rest of our family and friends, we are seeing mountains move!

Maya’s children are finally beginning to let us back into their lives! Their guards are slowly coming down and they’ve started to act the same way as when their mom was still around: goofy and loving. They’re mingling more with the family now, catching on (and throwing) jokes, singing karaoke, and just simply hanging out with their cousins. But the most important and meaningful behavior change are their small, unprompted gestures of affection like my husband getting a hug from Maya’s eldest daughter for the first time in nearly four years. He was caught off guard, but the gesture was so profound and moving that it brought him to tears. The hug signified barriers breaking down and a family torn apart by a tragedy is finally coming together. And this means the world to us.

We are incredibly grateful to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers. Your kindness and encouragement have made this journey possible. Due to the holidays and caring for the children, we couldn’t organize a prayer walk or hike this year as we have in the past... Thank you for standing with us."

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Four years since Maya Millete went missing, kids making progress