Crime26 September, 20263 min read
Jeff Maiorca Arrested After DNA Identifies Jill Maiorca’s Remains Hidden in Big Bear Lake Crawlspace
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Ex-husband Jeff Anthony Maiorca, 53, arrested on first-degree murder charges in Jill Maiorca's death. DNA identified Jill Maiorca from remains found in crawl-space containers under a Bear Lake home.
6 outlets told this the same way.
DNA cracks decades-old case
A California homeowner made a discovery in October 2020 in Big Bear Lake, when authorities found unidentified human remains hidden beneath a residence on Forest Road in the 39000 block of Forest Road. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team took up the case in 2023 and submitted the remains for additional DNA analysis, after investigators initially could not establish the victim’s identity despite DNA testing and other investigative efforts. Investigators later identified the remains as those of Jill Maiorca, a 29-year-old woman who had been reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007, and the Sheriff’s Department said evidence indicated she was murdered in November 2006.
Jeff Maiorca, now 53, was arrested on September 21, 2026, and he was taken into custody without incident on September 21 and booked into Big Bear Jail on suspicion of murder. NBC News reported that local authorities discovered the remains hidden in the crawlspace beneath a home in Big Bear and that authorities now say Jill Maiorca was murdered in November 2006, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Suspect, charges, and court
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said the cold case team picked up the case in 2023 and that "Through DNA analysis, we were able to determine it was Jill."
Dicus added that "we believe that Jill was murdered back in 2006 but not reported missing until 2007," as detectives focused on her former husband, Jeff Maiorca.
Jeff Maiorca was scheduled for arraignment on Sept. 23, but the hearing was continued until Oct. 12, and he faced both first and second-degree murder charges with enhancements for using a "deadly weapon."
NBC News said Jeff Maiorca was being held without bail at the High Desert Jail in Adelanto, California, and court records from the San Bernardino County Superior Court showed he was formally charged with murder and use of a deadly weapon.
People said prosecutors believe a knife was used in the killing, and the outlet reported that Jeff Maiorca was charged with first-degree murder on Tuesday, Sept. 22 in connection with the death of 29-year-old Jill Maiorca.
What investigators say happened
Investigators said the remains had been concealed beneath the Big Bear residence without the homeowner’s knowledge, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the reporting party requested law enforcement assistance after making a suspicious discovery in the crawlspace under the residence. The Sheriff’s Department said Big Bear Station deputies and personnel from the Big Bear Fire Department responded to the location and discovered unidentified human remains in the crawlspace beneath the residence, and an autopsy determined the manner of death to be homicide. The Times of India said evidence developed during the renewed investigation indicated that Maiorca was murdered in November 2006, approximately a year before she was reported missing in 2007.
NBC News said cold case detectives eventually identified Jill Maiorca’s former husband, Jeff Maiorca, as a suspect in her murder, and it reported that investigators have not disclosed a possible motive. The Sheriff’s Department encouraged anyone with information to contact its homicide detail team, and the investigation into Jill Maiorca’s disappearance and death remained ongoing.