Jury selection, which began Monday in the murder trial of Larry Millete, who is accused of killing his wife, Maya, concluded Tuesday afternoon with a panel chosen. Millete, 44, is charged with the murder of the mother of his three children. Maya. who has not been heard from since Jan. 7, 2021, wa s last seen at the couple’s Chula Vista home. The process began on April 20 when hundreds of prospective jurors began going through preliminary questionnaires. The pool was whittled down to 139 by Monday, with a few then being dismissed during lunch, the balance returning for voir dire questioning on Tuesday. By the end of that court date, 12 jurors and 6 alternates had been chosen for the trial at the Chula Vista courthouse, which is expected to last around three months. Opening statements in the trial will begin Monday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in Dept. 16 at the South County Courthouse, according to court spokeswoman Emily Cox Circumstantial evidence During the questioning of the jurors on Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles focused heavily on the difference between circumstantial and direct evidence, alluding to a major sticking point: the lack of a body or direct proof that Maya is deceased and the significant amount of circumstantial evidence to be presented at trial. While Maya’s body has not been located, prosecutors said there is no evidence to suggest she’s alive or voluntarily abandoned her family. They also allege May’s desire to leave her marriage prompted Larry to resort to desperate measures to convince May to stay, including by paying “spell casters” to compel her to give up her plans for divorce. Disappearance of May ‘Maya' Millete Maya Millete Apr 27 Judge explains why cameras won't be recording in court during Millete murder trial Maya Millete Jan 6 Maya Millete's family searches for solace, 5 years after her disappearance Prosecutors said in a preliminary hearing that, among the spells Larry sought, were ones he believed could make his wife love him, while in other instances, Millete sought to have his wife injured, sickened or suffer from nightmares either as a form of punishment or so she would be dependent on him. But, prosecutors said, he ceased his requests for any spells to be cast on his wife after she vanished; nor did he take part in the numerous searches for Maya in the months that followed. The defense For her part, Larry’s defense attorney Liann Sabatini questioned jurors about personal conflicts they might experience by sitting on a jury, as well as about their personal scheduling issues for medical appointments, for example or whether they would suffer financial hardship by sitting on a jury for, perhaps, months. She also asked about bias, proximity to the case, exposure to facts about the case and whether their opinions may have been influenced by being exposed due to news coverage. One juror discussed her desire to aid in the search for May because of how close she lived to the Milletes’ neighborhood. Millete was arrested in October of  2021 on suspicion of murdering his wife. He faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less