In a significant breakthrough, authorities have identified a victim whose skull was discovered by children in a Southern California city back in 1983. The Orange County Sheriff's Department announced on Friday that the victim has been identified as Maritza Glean Grimmett, a Panamanian native who had relocated to the U.S. in the late 1970s. Grimmett was just 20 years old at the time of her disappearance, as per a news release from authorities.
The discovery of Grimmett's skull occurred when children were playing in an area that now falls within Lake Forest, a city located approximately 43 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Subsequently, about 70% of her remains were unearthed from the ground. Despite efforts over the years, authorities had been unable to determine the victim's identity.
Fast forward to 2022, a DNA sample extracted from Grimmett's remains was sent to Othram Laboratories, a forensics group based in Texas, with funding for the DNA extraction and testing provided by a missing persons program within the U.S. Department of Justice. Through this analysis, investigators were able to establish a direct family line for Grimmett and made contact with one of her distant relatives in 2023.
Upon being contacted, the relative suggested sharing the findings of the forensics investigation on a Facebook group dedicated to women who went missing in the 1970s and 1980s. Following the posting of the information, a woman came forward to authorities, expressing her belief that she was the missing mother of the victim.
Subsequently, DNA samples were provided by relatives to the authorities, leading to the positive identification of the victim as Maritza Glean Grimmett. The investigation into this case is still ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding Grimmett's disappearance and subsequent death.
