A California man has been arrested in connection with his wife’s killing — almost 20 years after she went missing. Jeff Anthony Maiorca, 53, was taken into custody last week after the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department identified Jill Maiorca’s remains.
Jill, who was 29 when she went missing in 2007, had been found in a crawlspace under a house in Big Bear by the current homeowner in 2020. At the time, the unidentified homeowner reported a ‘suspicious discovery in the crawlspace’ to the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station. The discovery was later found to be ‘unidentified human remains’ that had been placed there years before, without the current homeowners’ knowledge.
Discovery and DNA analysis
A sheriff’s office news release stated the ‘reporting party requested law enforcement assistance after making a suspicious discovery in the crawlspace under the residence’ at the time. ‘Big Bear Station deputies and personnel from the Big Bear Fire Department responded to the location and discovered unidentified human remains in the crawlspace beneath the residence,’ it continued.
A 2023 DNA analysis reviewed by the Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the remains were Jill’s after ‘additional investigative DNA analysis’ by cold case homicide investigators. An autopsy also concluded that the cause of death was homicide. However, follow-up investigations have only just led to authorities naming Jill’s former husband, Jeff Maiorca, as a suspect in her killing.
Arrest and charges
Jill was first reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007. Following the discovery of her body, law enforcement has stated she was murdered in November 2006. Records show that Jeff had filed for divorce from Jill in Los Angeles County in 2004.
Authorities arrested Jeff at the Bear Lake branch library. He is now reportedly being held without bail at the High Desert Jail in Adelanto, California. Public records from the San Bernardino County Superior Court also reveal that Jill’s former husband has been formally charged with murder and use of a deadly weapon, Daily Mail reports.
According to a felony complaint obtained by People, prosecutors believe a knife was used in the killing. His next scheduled court appearance is October 12. Records show he does not have an attorney.
Despite these formal charges, San Bernardino County officials did not disclose what evidence led them to arrest Jeff or charge him with murder. However, they did state that the investigation into Jill Maiorca’s disappearance and death is still ongoing and that anyone who thinks they may have any information regarding Jill’s death should contact the Sheriff’s Department.
