The Aporia · Homeowner’s horrifying discovery in crawl space leads to arrest in 20-year-old cold case

Homeowner’s horrifying discovery in crawl space leads to arrest in 20-year-old cold case

Read the original at New York Post ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Peña, M. (2026, September 25). Homeowner’s horrifying discovery in crawl space leads to arrest in 20-year-old cold case. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/25/us-news/big-bear-man-arrested-after-wifes-remains-found-under-home/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

In Big Bear Lake, Southern California, the remains of Jill Maiorca were discovered in a crawl space beneath a home in October 2020. DNA analysis in 2023 identified the remains as belonging to Maiorca, who had been reported missing since 2007 but was likely murdered in November 2006. Jeff Anthony Maiorca, Jill's ex-husband, was arrested on September 21 by San Bernardino authorities and charged with murder and use of a deadly weapon. He is currently held at the High Desert Jail without bail.

Written by AI on 2026-09-26, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In Big Bear Lake, California, a homeowner discovered human remains hidden in a crawlspace under their house on October 28, 2020. These remains were later identified as those of Jill Maiorca, who had been reported missing since 2007 and was determined to have died from homicide in November 2006 when she was 29 years old. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed her identity through DNA analysis conducted in 2023, after cold case investigators took over the file.

Based on this evidence, Jeff Anthony Maiorca, Jill's former husband, who had filed for divorce from Jill in 2004, was arrested on September 21, 2026 and charged with her murder. He is currently being held at the High Desert Jail without bail pending further court proceedings scheduled for October 12th. This case highlights how modern DNA techniques can solve cold cases decades after they initially occur.

Written for “Cold Case Solved Under House” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

1 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Crime & Law

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Marina Peña

66 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

🔮 LA mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has dismissed a part-time staffer after he posted a video claiming former Michigan Senate candidate Haley Stevens had “tried to brainwash a lot of the black vote.”

2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Nithya Raman’s LA mayor bid in ‘disarray’ as staffer’s ‘racist’ video emerges

🔮 In a post on X, Essayli questioned why California could not use the same database it relies on to verify the citizenship of Medi-Cal applicants.

2026-11-02 · mixed framing · LA’s top federal prosecutor throws down the gauntlet as noncitizen voter fight goes down to the wire

🔮 Voters for the Fresno Unified School District race will still be able to make their selections, but when the machine prints their marked ballots, it will incorrectly identify the race as belonging to the Fowler Unified School District.

2026-11-01 · assertive framing · Election officials spot error on ballots for major California school district

🔮 “I could tell you that, we have had issues with sleep.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · California neighbors go ballistic at huge Hindu temple after recording secret footage: ‘Very frustrating’

🔮 The Supreme Court will ultimately decide this matter.”

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Federal judge says acting LA US Attorney is on the job unlawfully — but prosecutor vows he’s not going anywhere

🔮 Corona added that Ruiz also allegedly asked whether the girl’s mother would be home and talked about taking condoms.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · LAPD creep snared by online vigilantes trying to meet with minor after making sure ‘mom’s not home’

🔮 Emil Barr warned the state’s political climate could drive away young business founders and cost residents job opportunities.

2026-10-18 · mixed framing · Ohio millionaire Emil Barr reveals why he suddenly shelved plans to move to San Francisco

🔮 The blaze is also expected to cause traffic disruptions in the surrounding area, with drivers advised to take alternate routes.

2026-10-15 · assertive framing · Huge fire breaks out at Los Angeles apartment complex as mass evacuations underway

🔮 Nithya Raman claimed she went into a “fugue state” and did not remember her Los Angeles mayoral debate with Karen Bass.

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Wannabe LA mayor Nithya Raman claims she suffered rare psychiatric moment during Karen Bass debate

🔮 A tentative court ruling could reopen the door to fracking in Kern County, giving oil producers hope of tapping massive reserves that have remained out of reach under California’s ban.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Bombshell ruling that could unleash ‘one billion’ barrels of oil in California

Also by Marina Peña

Nithya Raman’s LA mayor bid in ‘disarray’ as staffer’s ‘racist’ video emerges

2026-11-02 · New York Post

Two California students left in horrific condition after high-speed train crash killed 69 in Spain

2026-11-02 · New York Post

LA’s top federal prosecutor throws down the gauntlet as noncitizen voter fight goes down to the wire

2026-11-02 · New York Post

Election officials spot error on ballots for major California school district

2026-11-01 · New York Post

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 66 articles by Marina Peña →

Claims (15 extracted, 1 hedged)

A Southern California man was arrested Monday years after his wife’s remains were mysteriously found in a crawl space underneath a home in Big Bear. asserted

remains → arrest → Bear

The remains of Jill Maiorca were originally found in October 2020 by deputies from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station after responding to a service call along Forest Road in Big Bear Lake. asserted

remains → find → Lake

At the time, the homeowner did not know the remains were hiding in his home and they had yet to be identified as belonging to the woman. asserted

they → know → woman

Sign up for the California Morning Report newsletter The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now. Thanks for signing up! asserted

Sign → sign → California

In 2023, DNA analysis reviewed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department revealed the remains were Maiorca’s and further investigation identified her former husband as a suspect in her murder. asserted

investigation → review → murder

Jeff Anthony Maiorca, 53, was arrested Monday, Sept. 21 by San Bernardino authorities, nearly 20 years after Jill was killed. asserted

Jill → arrest → authorities

Arrest records show that he has was detained at the Big Bear branch library on Garstin Drive. asserted

he → show → Drive

He is being held at the High Desert Jail in Adelanto, without access to bail. asserted

He → hold → bail

San Bernardino County Superior Court records show that he was charged with murder and use of a deadly weapon during a court hearing on Wednesday. asserted

he → show → Wednesday

His next court date is set for Oct. 12. asserted

date → set → Oct.

Jeff Anthony Maiorca had filed for divorce from Jill Maiorca in Los Angeles County in 2004, according to public records. uncertain

Maiorca → file → records

Jill was originally reported missing in Big Bear Lake in 2007, but evidence from authorities’ investigation indicate that she was murdered in November 2006. asserted

she → report → November

An autopsy conducted on the remains determined that the manner of death was a homicide. asserted

manner → conduct → death

The investigation into what happened to Jill remains ongoing. asserted

what → happen → Jill

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is encouraging anyone from the public with information to contact them. asserted

Department → encourage → them

Homeowner’s horrifying discovery in crawl space leads to arrest in 20-year-old cold case

Quick Summary

AI analysis

Story

Compared with similar articles

Signals How these are calculated →

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Publisher

Who wrote this

Topics

Subjects

Narrative

Claims (15 extracted, 1 hedged)