Jill Maiorca’s unidentified remains were found beneath a Big Bear Lake home in 2020, years before investigators determined who she was.
BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. — Nearly two decades after Jill Maiorca was reported missing, advances in DNA analysis helped investigators identify human remains found beneath a Big Bear Lake home and led authorities to arrest her former husband in connection with her death.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Jeff Maiorca, 53, was arrested Sept. 21 and booked on suspicion of murder. Investigators believe Jill Maiorca was killed in November 2006, when she was 29, although she was not reported missing from Big Bear Lake until 2007. Her remains would not be discovered for nearly 14 years, and their identity remained unknown for several more years.
The case took a major turn on Oct. 28, 2020, when deputies from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station responded to a home in the 39000 block of Forest Road. A caller had reported a suspicious discovery in a crawlspace beneath the residence. Deputies and Big Bear Fire Department personnel found human remains there, prompting homicide detectives from the Sheriff’s Department’s Specialized Investigations Division to take over the case.
An autopsy determined that the unidentified person had been the victim of a homicide. Investigators tried DNA testing and other investigative methods, but they were unable to establish an identity. Without knowing who the victim was, detectives were left with a homicide investigation that lacked one of its most basic pieces of information.
The Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team took over the investigation in 2023 and submitted the remains for additional DNA analysis. That work ultimately identified the remains as those of Jill Maiorca. Sheriff Shannon Dicus said investigators were able to determine through DNA analysis that the remains belonged to her, giving detectives a new path for examining the long-unsolved case.
Once the identification was made, detectives connected the remains to a missing-person case dating to 2007. Investigators said evidence developed during the renewed inquiry indicated Jill Maiorca had actually been killed in November 2006. Authorities also said her remains had been concealed beneath the Forest Road residence without the homeowner’s knowledge. Officials have not publicly explained how the remains came to be beneath that property.
Detectives eventually identified Jeff Maiorca, Jill’s former husband, as a suspect. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the evidence they say links him to the killing, and they have not announced a possible motive. His arrest came years after the remains were recovered and about two decades after investigators believe Jill Maiorca was killed.
Jeff Maiorca faces murder charges and an allegation involving use of a deadly weapon. A hearing at which he was expected to enter a plea had been scheduled for Sept. 23 but was continued until Oct. 12. The charges are allegations, and the criminal case will determine whether prosecutors can prove them in court.
The arrest does not end the investigation. Sheriff’s homicide detectives continue to seek information about Jill Maiorca’s disappearance and death as the criminal case moves forward. Authorities have not publicly disclosed several details, including a motive or the evidence that led investigators from identifying Jill Maiorca to focusing on her former husband.
Author note: Last updated September 25, 2026.