Jill Maiorca Cold Case: Former Husband Arrested Nearly 20 Years After Her Murder

Nearly two decades after Jill Maiorca disappeared from Big Bear Lake, California, investigators say a cold case has finally led to an arrest. Her former husband, Jeff Maiorca, was taken into custody after advanced DNA testing identified human remains discovered beneath a local home as those of Jill, who was 29 when investigators believe she was killed.

Investigators believe Jill was murdered in November 2006, although she was not reported missing until 2007. For years, her disappearance remained unresolved, leaving investigators without a confirmed identity or clear answers about what had happened to her.

The case took a dramatic turn on October 28, 2020, when authorities responded to a residence in the 39,000 block of Forest Road in Big Bear Lake after a suspicious discovery was reported in the crawl space beneath the home. Deputies and firefighters found human remains stored in containers underneath the property. The homeowner reportedly had no knowledge that the remains were there.

An autopsy determined that the person had died as a result of homicide. However, initial DNA testing and other investigative efforts failed to establish the victim’s identity, leaving detectives with an unidentified homicide victim and few answers.

In 2023, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Cold Case Homicide Team took over the investigation and submitted the remains for additional DNA analysis. The testing eventually identified the victim as Jill Maiorca. Investigators also learned that she had been reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007.

Once Jill’s identity was established, detectives continued investigating her disappearance and focused on her former husband, Jeff Maiorca. Authorities say evidence developed during the investigation indicated that Jill was killed in 2006 and that her remains were concealed beneath the Forest Road residence without the homeowner’s knowledge. Officials have not publicly detailed all of the evidence that led them to Maiorca or explained exactly when the remains were placed beneath the property.

On September 21, 2026, Jeff Maiorca, now 53, was arrested without incident and booked into jail in connection with Jill’s death. He is facing first- and second-degree murder charges, along with an enhancement alleging the use of a dangerous or deadly weapon. His arraignment, initially scheduled for September 23, was continued to October 12, 2026.

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, and the investigation remains ongoing. Maiorca has been accused, not convicted, and the charges against him remain allegations unless proven in court.

For Jill’s family, the identification of her remains has finally answered one question that remained unresolved for years: who the unidentified homicide victim found beneath the Big Bear home was. The investigation now moves forward as prosecutors pursue the case against the man authorities have identified as a suspect in her death.

Source: Daily mail