Thirteen years after Jill Maiorca was reported missing, a cabin owner near Big Bear Lake in Southern California discovered her remains hidden in storage boxes beneath a residential crawlspace. Investigators subsequently identified the victim and arrested her former husband, Jeff Maiorca, on murder charges, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Discovery of Remains at Big Bear Lake
The grim discovery occurred at a cabin on Forest Road in the mountain community of Big Bear Lake, located east of Los Angeles. In October 2007, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and local fire services responded to the property after the owner found human remains stashed in boxes stored under the house. The body was severely decomposed, preventing immediate identification at the scene, and the victim had no personal connection to the cabin or its owner, according to police statements.
An autopsy conducted at the time confirmed the death was a homicide, but the identity of the victim remained a mystery for over a decade. The case went cold until 2023, when the sheriff’s cold case team took over the investigation and submitted the remains for advanced DNA testing. Those tests confirmed the victim was Jill Maiorca, who was 29 years old when she vanished.
Investigation and Arrest of Jeff Maiorca
Following the DNA identification, investigators turned their focus to Jeff Maiorca. Court documents reviewed by The Guardian indicate that Jeff Maiorca had filed for divorce from Jill in 2004. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, investigators determined that Jill Maiorca was killed in November 2006—the year prior to when she was officially reported missing—and her body was concealed beneath the Forest Road cabin without the homeowner’s knowledge.
Authorities have not released specific details regarding how the body was transported to or placed beneath the property. Jeff Maiorca, 53, was apprehended on Monday, September 21, and booked on a murder charge, as reported by CBS News. He is currently held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on October 12.