The Orange County Sheriff’s Department announced that the victim whose skull was discovered by children in a Southern California city in 1983 has finally been identified after 41 years. The victim was identified as Maritza Glean Grimmett, a Panamanian native who had moved to the U.S. in the late 1970s. Grimmett was only 20 years old at the time of her disappearance. The identification was made possible through a DNA analysis using Grimmett’s remains, which helped investigators trace her relatives.
Grimmett’s skull was found by children playing in what is now Lake Forest, a city located about 43 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Approximately 70 percent of her remains were excavated from the area. Despite efforts over the years, authorities were unable to identify the victim.
In 2022, a DNA sample from Grimmett’s remains was sent to Othram Laboratories, a forensics group in Texas, with funding from a missing persons program within the U.S. Department of Justice. This led to the discovery of a direct family line for Grimmett, and in 2023, authorities contacted one of her distant relatives.
Following a recommendation from the relative, the findings of the forensic investigation were shared in a Facebook group focusing on missing women from the 1970s and 1980s. A month later, a woman reached out to investigators claiming to be the victim’s mother.
Relatives provided DNA samples to authorities, leading to the positive identification of the victim as Maritza Glean Grimmett. The investigation into her disappearance continues.
