– Maritza Glean Grimmett murder
– Panamanian woman homicide California.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
In a breakthrough development, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department has identified a woman who was found dead in Orange County over 41 years ago. The victim, previously known as the “Lake Forest Jane Doe,” has been confirmed to be Maritza Glean Grimmett, a native of Panama.
The Discovery
The case dates back to April 1983 when children playing in a storm drain near Canada and Old Trabuco roads in what is now Lake Forest stumbled upon a human skull. Subsequent excavation efforts led to the recovery of approximately 70% of the female victim’s remains.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, an anthropology examination revealed that the victim was a Black or mixed-race female aged between 18 to 24 years old, with a slight build and a distinctive gold tooth.
The Investigation
After more than four decades of mystery, investigators made a significant breakthrough in 2022 by submitting a DNA sample of the unidentified victim to a laboratory in collaboration with the National Missing and Unidentified Person System. A genetic profile was successfully obtained, leading to the commencement of genetic genealogy work in partnership with the FBI.
Despite multiple forensic renderings over the years, direct family lineage remained elusive until late 2023 when investigators reached out to a distant relative of the victim. Following a suggestion to post the renderings on a Facebook group for unidentified murder victims and missing women from the 1970s and 1980s, a woman came forward claiming that the Lake Forest Jane Doe could be her missing mother.
Maritza’s Story
Maritza Glean Grimmett, a native of Panama, married a U.S. Marine in the summer of 1978 and gave birth to a daughter shortly after. The family relocated to the United States, settling in Columbus, Ohio, and Millington, Tennessee, until mid-1979. In July 1979, Maritza, then 20, began divorce proceedings with her husband and informed her sister of her plans to go to California.
Tragically, Maritza’s family never heard from her again, leaving her disappearance shrouded in mystery for decades. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is now actively investigating her homicide, as the killer remains unidentified.
How You Can Help
Anyone with information regarding Maritza Glean Grimmett’s death is urged to contact Investigator Bob Taft at 714-647-7045 or send information to coldcase@ocsheriff.gov. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to O.C. Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-6227 or through their website at www.occrimestoppers.org.
This breakthrough in the case brings hope for closure and justice for Maritza Glean Grimmett and her loved ones after over four decades of uncertainty.
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– Victim of 1983 murder in California identified as Panamanian woman Maritza Glean Grimmett
– Panamanian woman Maritza Glean Grimmett identified as victim of 1983 murder in California.
