21-02-2025
Woman's remains ID'd 40 years after being found in Lake Forest; OC deputies seek new leads
The Brief
Orange County deputies are searching for new leads in a 40-year-old murder case.
Maritza Glean Grimmett's remains were found in what is now Lake Forest in 1983.
Her remains were finally identified last year.
Invesitagors have named her ex-husband and his new wife as persons of interest in the case.
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Investigators in Orange County announced on Thursday that they're searching for new leads in a 40-year-old murder investigation, after the victim was finally identified thanks, in part, to a Facebook group.
Maritza Glean Grimmett was found dead in Lake Forest in 1983. Now, deputies say her ex-husband and his current wife are considered persons of interest in the case.
Now that she's been identified, investigators are trying to put together the missing pieces.
The backstory
In April 1983, several children discovered a human skull while they were playing in a culvert in what is now Lake Forest, near Canada and Old Trabuco roads. After excavating the area, officials found the rest of the remains.
Authorities tried for decades to identify the woman, sharing forensic renderings over the years with the media and online, but came up empty.
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Forty years later, in 2023, investigators were able to use the woman's DNA to find a distant relative. That relative suggested deputies post the renderings they had of the woman on a Facebook group dedicated to identifying women who had gone missing in the '70s and '80s.
Just a month later, they had a lead.
A woman reached out to investigators saying the person they were looking for might be her missing mother. From there, they were able to positively identify the victim as Maritza Glean Grimmett.
Timeline
According to investigators, Maritza Grimmett was a Panamanian native who married a U.S. Marine in the summer of 1978. She then gave birth to a daughter, before moving to the U.S. with her husband, Howard Grimmett, later that year.
The family lived in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Millington, Tennessee, deputies said.
The next year, in 1979, the couple filed for divorce.
After that, Howard Grimmett moved to California with his new wife, Isabel "Terry" Cruz-Grimmett, leaving Martiza Grimmett in Tennessee.
That's when investigators said Maritza Grimmett told her family she was going to California. They never heard from her again.
Her remains were found in April 1983.
What's next
On Thursday, officials announced that Martiza's ex-husband, Howard Grimmett, and his new wife, Isabel "Terry" Cruz-Grimmett, were considered persons of interest in their investigation.
Now, investigators say they are working to piece together the rest of the timeline, specifically how and when Maritza got to California.
Deputies said they're also hoping to talk with former military service members who may have seen Maritza at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station between late 1979 and April 1983.
The former station is near where Maritza's remains were found.
Investigators are asking anyone who could help with their investigation to contact the cold case team at 714-647-7055, or coldcase@
Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 855-847-6227.
The Source
Information in this story comes from a Feb. 20, 2025 press release issued by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the OCSD's cold cases web page.
