Big Bear News -Big Bear Lake, CA — A cold case investigation spanning nearly two decades has led to the arrest of a Big Bear resident in connection with the 2006 murder of his wife. On September 21, 2026, detectives with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Cold Case Homicide Team arrested 53-year-old Jeff Maiorca of Big Bear. Maiorca was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Big Bear Jail on charges of murder under California Penal Code Section 187(a).
The arrest follows a multi-year investigation that began on October 28, 2020, when deputies from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station responded to a call in the 39000 block of Forest Road in Big Bear Lake. A reporting party requested assistance after discovering suspicious remains in a crawlspace beneath a residence. Deputies and personnel from the Big Bear Fire Department retrieved the remains, and an autopsy subsequently determined the manner of death to be homicide. Despite initial DNA testing, the victim’s identity remained unknown for several years.
In 2023, the Cold Case Homicide Team submitted the remains for advanced investigative DNA analysis, successfully identifying the victim as 29-year-old Jill Maiorca. Investigators determined that Jill had been reported missing from Big Bear Lake in 2007, and evidence indicates she was murdered in November 2006 before her remains were concealed under the Forest Road property without the homeowner’s knowledge.
The investigation remains open and ongoing. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department detectives encourage anyone with additional information regarding Jill Maiorca’s disappearance or murder to contact Detective Malcolm Page or Sergeant Justin Giles with the Homicide Detail at (909) 890-4916. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling or texting “REPORT” to We-Tip at 844-909-3006 or online via the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reporting portal.
