Jeff Maiorca, 53, was arrested Monday on suspicion of killing his wife Jill, whose remains were found beneath a Big Bear Lake home in 2020. Detectives believe she was killed in November 2006, when she was 29, and was reported missing the following year.
Deputies found human remains in the home's crawlspace on Oct. 28, 2020, after a caller reported a suspicious discovery. An autopsy determined the death was a homicide, but investigators initially could not identify the person, even after DNA testing. A cold-case team took over in 2023; further DNA analysis identified Jill, and investigators later named her former husband as a suspect.
Maiorca was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held without bail; the investigation remains open. The sheriff's department said Jill's remains were concealed beneath the house without the homeowner's knowledge, but did not say what evidence led investigators to Maiorca or how they believe the remains were hidden.
