A California homeowner checking the crawl space beneath his house made a disturbing discovery in October 2020 when authorities found unidentified human remains hidden beneath the property in Big Bear Lake. An autopsy determined that the person had died in a homicide, but investigators initially could not establish the victim’s identity despite DNA testing and other investigative efforts. The case remained unsolved for years until the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team took it up in 2023 and submitted the remains for additional DNA analysis. The testing ultimately identified the victim as Jill Maiorca, a 29-year-old woman who had been reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007. Investigators later identified her former husband, Jeff Maiorca, as a suspect and arrested him in September 2026.
California homeowner discovered human remains beneath Big Bear home
The investigation began on October 28, 2020, when deputies from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station responded to a call about a suspicious discovery in the crawl space of a residence in the 39000 block of Forest Road in Big Bear Lake. Deputies and personnel from the Big Bear Fire Department found human remains beneath the residence and recovered them from the crawl space. An autopsy determined that the manner of death was homicide. However, investigators were initially unable to determine who the victim was. DNA testing and other investigative efforts failed to establish the person’s identity, leaving detectives with an unidentified homicide victim and no clear connection to a missing-person case. Authorities later determined that the remains had been concealed beneath the residence without the homeowner’s knowledge. Investigators have not publicly explained how or when the remains were placed there.
Cold case team revisits unidentified remains
The case received a new investigative push in 2023, when the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Cold Case Homicide Team assumed the investigation. Detectives submitted the remains for additional investigative DNA analysis in an effort to establish the victim’s identity. The additional analysis eventually produced a breakthrough. Investigators identified the remains as those of Jill Maiorca, who had been reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007. She was 29 years old. According to the Sheriff’s Department, evidence developed during the renewed investigation indicated that Maiorca was murdered in November 2006, approximately a year before she was reported missing. Her remains had remained unidentified for years after being discovered beneath the Forest Road residence.
Jill Maiorca had been missing since 2007
Maiorca’s disappearance had been recorded as a missing-person case in Big Bear Lake in 2007. Her eventual identification gave investigators a name to work with and allowed them to examine her history, relationships and circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Los Angeles County court records show that Jeff Maiorca had filed for divorce from Jill in 2004. The divorce case involved minor children, according to records cited by SFGATE. Authorities have not publicly disclosed a possible motive for Jill’s killing. They also have not detailed all the evidence that led investigators to focus on her former husband. The Sheriff’s Department has said the investigation remains ongoing.
Former husband arrested nearly 20 years later
After the renewed investigation and identification of Jill’s remains, detectives identified her former husband, Jeff Maiorca, as a suspect in her murder. Maiorca, now 53, was arrested on September 21, 2026, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Maiorca was taken into custody without incident on September 21 and booked into Big Bear Jail on suspicion of murder, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The Los Angeles Times, citing incarceration records, reported that he was being held in a San Bernardino County jail without bail. SFGATE reported that Maiorca was detained at the Big Bear Lake branch library on Garstin Drive and that his arrest record listed a murder charge. Maiorca has been accused of killing Jill, but the allegations have not been adjudicated in court. Authorities have not said publicly what evidence specifically connected him to the killing or how they believe her remains came to be concealed beneath the home.
Court hearing moved to October 12
According to ABC7 Los Angeles, Maiorca was initially scheduled for an arraignment on September 23, but the hearing was continued to October 12. The outlet reported that he is facing first- and second-degree murder charges, along with an enhancement alleging the use of a deadly weapon.The case remains an active homicide investigation. The Sheriff’s Department has asked anyone with information about Jill Maiorca’s disappearance or death to contact its Homicide Detail. Investigators have also said they are continuing to work on the case nearly two decades after her suspected killing.
