What Really Happened to Maritza Grimmett?

Introduction

The Mysterious Murder of Maritza Glean Grimmett: a 41-Year-Old Cold Case Finally Breaks Open.

For over 40 years, a young woman named Maritza Grimmett murder remained a mystery. No name. No leads. No justice. She was simply known as Jane Doe, a forgotten victim, buried in an unmarked grave.

But in 2024, that all changed.

Her name was Maritza Glean Grimmett, a 20-year-old woman who disappeared without a trace in 1983. And now, after more than four decades, investigators have finally named two persons of interest: her ex-husband, Howard Grimmett, and his current wife, Isabel “Terry” Cruz-Grimmett. So, what really happened to Maritza, and why did it take 41 years for her story to be told?

Let’s go back to the beginning.

A Young Woman with Big Dreams

Maritza, originally from Panama, was full of life and ambition. In 1978, she married Howard Grimmett, a U.S. Marine. They had a daughter, Dawn, and soon moved to the United States. But their love story didn’t last long. By 1979, Maritza and Howard had separated. Around the same time, Howard remarried, this time to Terry Cruz-Grimmett—and moved to California, where he was stationed at El Toro Marine Base.

Meanwhile, Maritza stayed behind in Tennessee, but something happened. Maritza vanished without a trace.

The Chilling Discovery

In April 1983, authorities in California discovered human remains in a remote area of what is now Lake Forest. The body was badly decomposed, making it impossible to identify.

There were no belongings. No ID. No clues. And just like that, Maritza without a name or a past, became “Jane Doe.” For the next four decades, the case went cold. Until the internet stepped in.

A Breakthrough from the Digital World

In November 2023, forensic experts used DNA technology to trace a distant relative of Jane Doe. Desperate for leads, someone suggested sharing a forensic sketch in a Facebook group for missing persons from the 1970s and 80s.

Then, in December 2023, a woman came forward. She recognized the image.

It looked like her mother, Maritza, who had disappeared when she was just a little girl. By March 2024, forensic tests confirmed the shocking truth, Jane Doe was Maritza Glean Grimmett.

But while the mystery of her identity was solved, the biggest question remained:

Who killed her? And why?

The Suspicious Connection to El Toro Marine Base

Before she vanished, Maritza told her sister she was travelling to California. But when she got there, no one heard from her. Her body was found just three miles away from El Toro Marine Base, where her ex-husband Howard was stationed.

Investigators started asking tough questions: Did Maritza go to California willingly? Or was she lured there?

And why was her body found so close to where Howard was living?

The 41-Year Investigation Finally Moves Forward

On February 20, 2024, authorities made a major announcement:

The two main persons of interest in the case were Maritza’s ex-husband, Howard Grimmett, and his wife, Terry Cruz-Grimmett.

Howard has denied any involvement. Both he and Terry cooperated with investigators, sitting for interviews in September 2024.

But with 41 years between them and the crime, proving anyone guilty won’t be easy.

A Final Search for the Truth

Detectives are now seeking help from former military personnel who were stationed at El Toro Marine Corps Air Station between 1979 and 1983.

Someone out there knows what really happened to Maritza.

Did she meet someone at the base? Was she targeted? Or did she go there thinking she was safe, only to never return?

After four decades, this case is closer to being solved than ever before.

For Maritza, whose voice has been silenced for so long, the truth is finally starting to emerge.