A judge on Thursday denied a request from defense attorneys representing a Chula Vista man who sought to move his murder trial away from the South Bay courthouse.

Larry Millete is accused of killing his wife, May “Maya” Millete , who has been missing for more than four years. She vanished from her home on Jan. 7, 2021.

Attorneys for Millete, who is scheduled to go to trial in January, argued that the media coverage surrounding her disappearance and his case has influenced public perception to such a degree that the defendant cannot receive a fair trial with jurors from Chula Vista and the greater South Bay region.

Millete, 43, faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted of murder, plus a felony count of possessing an assault weapon.

One of Millete’s attorneys, Colby Ryan,

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