1. Lake Forest Jane Doe identified as missing mother
2. Death investigation initiated for Lake Forest Jane Doe.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : After 41 years, the mystery surrounding the identity of a woman whose remains were discovered in Southern California has finally been solved. Authorities have confirmed that the woman is Maritza Glean Grimmett, a native of Panama who moved to the U.S. in the late 1970s.
Maritza Grimmett married a U.S. Marine in the summer of 1978 and relocated to the U.S. She was last heard from in July 1979 when she informed her sister that she was getting a divorce and heading to California. The discovery of her remains in what is now Lake Forest, California, in April 1983 sparked a decades-long investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Despite extensive efforts to identify her over the years, it wasn’t until recently that a breakthrough was made. In 2011, a DNA sample was sent to Othram Laboratories, resulting in a genetic profile for the unidentified woman. Cold case investigators then collaborated with the FBI’s Regional Genealogy Team to conduct investigative genetic genealogy, leading to the identification of Maritza Grimmett.
Multiple forensic renderings of the woman were released to the public, and a distant genetic relative of the victim recognized her in late 2023. The relative contacted authorities, leading to the submission of DNA samples from Grimmett’s family members for confirmation.
The National Missing and Unidentified Person System covered the costs of DNA extraction and testing, ultimately confirming Grimmett’s identity. Investigators are now focused on solving the mystery of her death and are seeking information from the public. Anyone with information is urged to contact Investigator Bob Taft at (714) 647-7045 or email coldcase@ocsheriff.gov.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to OC Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227 or through their website www.occrimestoppers.org. The resolution of Maritza Grimmett’s case brings closure to her family and friends, while the investigation into her death continues to seek justice..
– Lake Forest Jane Doe
– Missing mom identified.
