May Millete's Affair Partner Testifies During Larry Millete's Murder Trial

CHULA VISTA, CA — The man who was having an extramarital affair with May Millete testified Monday that he did not reach out to her after her disappearance and was not entirely truthful with police because he feared the potential implications on his marriage.

The testimony came Monday from James "Jamey" Laird, who worked under May at the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center and has been the subject of repeated disputes among attorneys regarding his anticipated trial testimony.

Prior to the trial's start, defense attorneys for Larry Millete, the Chula Vista man charged with murdering his wife of 20 years, were barred by Judge Enrique Camarena from mounting a defense that pointed to Laird as a potential suspect in May's death. In pre-trial filings, the defense argued Laird had a potential motive because of the implications the affair's disclosure could have on his marriage and career.

But Camarena ruled Laird's involvement in the case did not satisfy the legal standard for admitting what's known as third party culpability evidence.

Millete's attorneys argued that with Laird's potential culpability off limits, the prosecution should not be allowed to question Laird regarding his whereabouts around the time of May's disappearance.

Defense attorney Liann Sabatini has argued throughout the trial that the defense has been hamstrung in its potential examination of Laird and of investigators' efforts to corroborate his alibi. Sabatini argued Monday that allowing Laird to testify about his whereabouts amounted to confirming his alibi and "creates a seriously unfair situation," but Camarena ruled the prosecution could explore those areas.

Laird's then-wife went into labor on Jan. 7, 2021, the day May disappeared, and he testified Monday morning that he remained at the hospital with his wife until Jan. 10.

The romantic relationship with May sparked sometime around January of 2020, according to Laird, who admitted that he had been in love with May and that after their affair became the subject of an investigation at their workplace, the pair developed an "us against the world" attitude.

He testified that they confided in each other about their respective marriages and that in their conversations, May described herself as being "controlled" by her husband during most of their marriage.

May described being tracked by Larry and finding "subliminal messages" that she believed Larry planted underneath her bed, Laird testified.

In prior testimony from May's family members and friends in the trial, witnesses testified that May disclosed similar efforts Larry allegedly took to monitor her whereabouts, including by logging into her social media accounts to see who she spoke with and planting their daughter's cell phone in her car to track where she was going. Trial testimony has also touched on Larry's purchases of subliminal recordings and "spells" he believed would influence May to give up her plans for divorce.

Laird testified that he was concerned for May because of the "level of desperation" she'd described coming from Larry.

Laird conceded that he got into an argument with May a few days before she disappeared because Larry had contacted his wife regarding the affair.

"I can't have this keep happening," he said he told May.

Laird said the last time he spoke with May was in a social media message at around 2 p.m. Jan. 7. He said he did not check his messages over that weekend due to the birth of his child and his routine to not check Instagram on weekends. The first he learned of May's disappearance was on Jan. 10, when May's sister-in-law and one of May's friends reached out to him, he testified.

Investigators interviewed Laird multiple times after Jan. 7 and he conceded he was not entirely truthful about the extent of his feelings for May.

Laird said he and his wife were trying to patch things up and he did not want additional details about the extent of the affair to get back to his wife.

Laird also testified, "I was scared because something bad had happened to (May)...and I was afraid something bad could happen to us."

Laird's cross-examination is set to begin Monday afternoon.

By JASON KUROSU / City News Service