Jeff Maiorca, 53, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of former wife Jill Maiorca, 29, whose remains were found in a Big Bear Lake crawlspace in 2020. The sheriff’s office says evidence suggested she was killed in November 2006; he was arrested Sept. 21.
Deputies found unidentified human remains beneath a Big Bear Lake residence on Oct. 28, 2020. An autopsy found the death was a homicide, but initial DNA testing and investigative efforts did not identify the person. The sheriff’s cold-case homicide team took over in 2023 and used additional DNA analysis to identify Jill, who had been missing since 2007.
The sheriff’s office said evidence suggested Jill’s remains were placed beneath the property without the homeowner’s knowledge. Prosecutors believe a knife was used, according to a felony complaint obtained by People. Maiorca had not yet been arraigned when the article was published.
