Missing (Pregnant) Marine Dead, Authorities Say

KWTX ^ | 1/11/2008 | n/a

[Pyro7480]

January 11, 2008)--Authorities in North Carolina said late Friday morning pregnant Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach is dead.

They said she’s buried in a shallow grave, for which investigators are now searching.

They identified the suspect in the case as a Marine officer whom she accused of sexually assaulting her.

Police earlier were planning to interview a man who lived with her and said he would answer questions that "will shed a lot of light on the case."

Authorities said again Friday Marine Sgt. Daniel Durham isn't a suspect, but police believe he's the last person to speak with the Marine.

She disappeared Dec. 14 ahead of her expected testimony in a military investigation into her claim a senior officer had sexually assaulted her.

Court documents show the investigation went sour amid inconsistencies in the woman's story and allegations that she's bipolar and a compulsive liar.

Search warrants show she was facing a possible discharge from the service.

Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she disappeared.

[Girlene]

Thanks for the confirmation, deb. Just one more way that Cesear showed how little he covered up his crime within his own household.

[NCjim]

What I cannot understand is why they're not going after Christina who has to be up to her ears in the whole thing. What's the risk now that Cesar is known to be in Mexico?

I can't wait to hear what comes up in the news conference tomorrow and in the Grand Jury. Note that WRAL (and I suspect WITN) will have live news conferences at 11:00 AM.

[Lyn_2IDMom]

I will be tuning in. Wish there were camera’s in the court, but no such luck YET.

Seems if they have her confined to base, they can keep an eye on her and keep her safe. She can’t leave and if Lejuene is anything like Ft Carson....Carson checks everything going in and out. When I was out there in 05 for a month volunteering with the FRG/Rear D and redeployment, I got so tired of my car being searched and checking id, that I left my ID in my cup holder and the darn thing melted from the sun. And I had a military sticker in the window.

I am now wondering if his pay has been stopped along with their BAH. I would assume they used their BAH to pay their house payment/living expenses, but with her in base housing there is no BAH. Just curious...if so there will be a foreclosure at 103 Meadowtrail soon.

[Girlene]

What I cannot understand is why they're not going after Christina who has to be up to her ears in the whole thing. What's the risk now that Cesar is known to be in Mexico?

No. 1, the authorities don't know if he's in Mexico. It's probably a good bet, but it took a reporter to interview the "cousin" in the liquor store to get a sighting. Mexican authorities in his birth town in Mexico haven't been notified to be on the lookout for him.

If authorities want to get serious about getting him, up the ante for the reward, and go through official channels so that local police will be aware.

Until they have Cesear, I doubt they will charge Christina. As time goes along, and Cesear hasn't come back, then they may charge her with a few things. Wonder if the military will try to take precedence now that she's allegedly been called back to active duty? I don't think they can since any crimes she committed would have been as a reserve and related to a crime off-base. Hope the press conference helps to keep this case active.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/23/military-autopsy-murdered-marines-fetus-not-alive-when-she-died/

January 23rd, 2008

Military autopsy: Murdered Marine’s fetus not alive when she died

Posted: 07:43 PM ET

(CNN) — Preliminary findings from a military autopsy indicate that a slain Marine’s fetus was not born alive at the time of her death, Onslow County, N.C., District Attorney Dewey Hudson told CNN Wednesday.

Hudson said the military asked to conduct a second autopsy on the body of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach following one performed by the state. Lauterbach’s family gave its approval for that autopsy, which was completed Tuesday, he said.

The military is conducting further tests on a lung tissue sample to determine whether the fetus’ lungs contained oxygen, he said. If oxygen is found, he said, it would mean the baby took a breath and would establish life. In that case, Hudson said, Lauterbach’s suspected killer, Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, could face a second murder charge.

[Lyn_2IDMom]

Thank you Sue for the link on HOW to post using HTML. Guess I have gotten lazy with MSN groups.

[Sue Perkick]

Oh you’re welcome! It was such a pain for me at first I almost gave up in frustration. LOL

[Lyn_2IDMom]

LOL, JDNews is still down, but the pics...headlines...etc on Blueline are worth the laugh.
http://www.bluelineradio.com/

[Lyn_2IDMom]

Thanks Sue and Deb....I did it :)

[freema]

That’s an absolutely disgusting reason behind doing the autopsy. It reeks of spotlighting.

It should have been framed that they need to determine whether the cause of death for this child was prenatal or postnatal demise, when the life force for this child ceased.

[Girlene]

It should have been framed that they need to determine whether the cause of death for this child was prenatal or postnatal demise, when the life force for this child ceased.

I'll agree with that, freema. I wonder if they worked with the Onslow County Coroner to review how the child was found in the grave, etc. to come to any conclusions in the child's death.

[Girlene]

Wait a minute. I just reread the CNN release on the military autopsy findings. First they say,

“Preliminary findings from a military autopsy indicate that a slain Marine’s fetus was not born alive at the time of her death”

Then the article goes on to say,

“The military is conducting further tests on a lung tissue sample to determine whether the fetus’ lungs contained oxygen, he said. If oxygen is found, he said, it would mean the baby took a breath and would establish life.”

So, in other words, they have no freakin’ idea whether the baby was alive or not at this point. Odds are, she wasn’t. But that is poor reporting, either on CNN’s part or the military’s. Maybe Dover who did the autopsy will be better than the medical facilities that were taking care of Maria’s prenatal care.

Camp LeJeune told Maria that her conception date was May 14 which would negate her rape allegations. However, they also told her that her baby was 6 plus pounds after less than 6 1/2 months on November 26th. Impossible. When she was murdered on Dec. 14, her baby had to be closer to 8 to 81/2 months along, which would fit right in with the timing of her rape allegations. Not only that, but they told her she was having a boy from an earlier sonogram. Maria’s baby was a girl, God rest her soul. I’m not impressed with the military’s predictions on Maria’s pregnancy. Why would I believe their autopsy?

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

Does CNN or any other report show the outside of the licores store in Zapopan? I’d like to locate it on a map.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

Appears the name of Ramirez’s liquor store is “La Mexicana”.

[freema]

Very good.

I can’t even comment.

That backspace key, you know, is my friend.

[Lyn_2IDMom]

FBI says Laurean lacks fear
Dual citizenship may complicate arrest in Mexico

Cesar Laurean was born in Mexico. He became a U.S. citizen in 2003.
But he could still have Mexican citizenship.
The United States and Mexico are among a handful of countries that permit dual citizenship, according to Joseph Gutheinz, a criminal defense attorney who teaches criminal law at a college in Alvin, Texas.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/laurean_54571___article.html/fbi_mexico.html

Just another bump in road for Justice.

[sodpoodle]

If the reward money were increased to $1m - his life would become a living hell. Coyotes & drug smugglers making plea deals for information.

We should assume he’s getting help from his family and anti-US Mexican authorities. Disguises and favors will last only so long....imagine he has no money and any funds from the US are being monitored.

We just have to be patient and wait for his capture - there may even be political stuff behind the delays.

[najida]

Patience is all anyone has at this point.

[Lyn_2IDMom]

Here is one at night from a video on witn, not very clear. I saw another one yesterday that was in color with people standing in front, but can't find it now. Do not think the name showed though. From what I can see in this one it is something...E...Mexicana

[Girlene]

Oh, for heaven's sake. Dual citizenship? How is it possible for a Marine to retain his citizenship and loyalty to another country? If this is possible, this seems an incredibly bad loophole for people serving in the military. More from your jdnews link, FBI says Laurean lacks fear

...."An FBI spokesman said he could not speak to Laurean’s citizenship status.

“He is a naturalized U.S. citizen,” said Newsom Summerlin, a special agent with the Charlotte Division of the FBI. “I cannot speak to if he is, in fact, a dual citizen.”

But if Laurean did not renounce his Mexican citizenship, he still enjoys all of the rights and privileges of a native in his home country, Gutheinz said.

“When a person such as Cesar Laurean breaks American laws he has the option of simply going south to Mexico, where wanted criminals will usually escape American prosecution,” Gutheinz said. “Reportedly, Laurean is now walking the streets of his hometown in Mexico, meeting up with relatives who are not turning him in.

“He lacks the typical fear one would expect of someone on the FBI’s top 10 most wanted list.” ".....

....."Once the FBI locates and arrests a fugitive overseas, the case moves over to the Department of Justice and the State Department to begin extradition proceedings, according to Summerlin.

Gutheinz, for his part, thinks the idea of dual citizenship may require a second look.

“Questions now have to be asked,” Gutheinz said. “Why didn’t members of Laurean’s chain of command take action, and do so earlier? Was there a failure on the part of the Sheriff ’s Department and NCIS to take decisive action? How did Laurean so easily slip into Mexico? Why wasn’t the FBI waiting for Laurean side by side with Mexican law enforcement to see to it that Laurean was arrested? Is it now time to change America’s dual citizenship laws, to foster allegiance to our laws and a single flag?” "