One of the bombshells revealed following the arrest of Larry Millete was that he contacted so-called “spell casters” who he hoped could, at first, get his wife to fall back in love with him, and later, cause her to suffer severe injury.
So what is a spell caster and how do they do their business?
With a planting pot, soil, candles and crystals on a table, Tuesday Phillips of California Witches can concoct a spell to help people with their finances.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
"Say this chant: The moon in honor and grace circling the skies with priority... bless this tree for money to come to me," she said in a video posted on social media.
Tuesday and her daughter Isabella Phillips are part of a coven of witches that operate California Witches and California Love Spells, companies that perform customized spells.
Their videos show how they use crystals, oils and herbs to make potions.
“We put all these things in a cauldron or bowl and altar and charge these with energy from our own bodies, from a celestial event, like I said. We’re able to conjure it into the universe and make it come to life,” explained Isabella Phillips.
“Nine times out of 10 they're looking for love,” explained Tuesday when asked why most people seek out spell casters. “They’re all coming about a relationship issue.”
That's why Larry Millete contacted multiple spell casters online, according to the warrant for his arrest. It states he purchased multiple spells online to make his wife Maya Millete fall back in love with him.
When that didn't work, he allegedly emailed asking for spells to, “incapacitate her” and “hurt her enough that she'll have to depend on me." He also sent requests to harm a man he blamed for his failed relationship.
That kind of request isn’t new to Tuesday Phillips, but it’s not something she’d ever conjure up a spell for.
“I have seen it before. I don't work with people like that. I don't go with black magic or anything,” she said.
She and her daughter say they offer quick spells for things like money issues, but they use a more holistic approach that includes counseling and guidance in addition to spells when it comes to matters of the heart.
“This is a misconception. People really think this spell casting is like movie magic, like 'Harry Potter' or 'Bewitched.' It’s not true. That's movie magic and this is where the scam comes in," explained Tuesday Phillips.
Related Stories
The mother-daughter duo says if someone comes to them asking for a malicious spell, they have their own personal code.
"If someone is looking to harm someone else, absolutely, I contact authorities and make sure the right people know.”
NBC 7 also spoke to a man who calls himself a “spiritualist.”
He said every practitioner has their own moral code, but that the vast majority will not take up darker requests.
The DA’s office wouldn’t comment about whether these spell casters are obligated to report criminal intent. They’d only say more details will be released during Larry Millete’s first court appearance on Thursday.
