Posted on 01/11/2008 9:43:08 AM PST by 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.
Most of all, he’s a US military deserter wanted for murder. Kinda trumps ‘dual’ anything to me.
****How is it possible for a Marine to retain his citizenship and loyalty to another country?****
Excellent question - what is the US Naturalization Oath & the Marine Oath?
Anything about swearing allegiance & enemies foreign & domestic?
He is AWOL when other Marines are engaged in combat - BECAUSE THE US IS AT WAR!!!!
I would think any treaties with Mexico are null & void - if they are harboring deserters in a time of war.
How did that Canadian thing work during Vietnam?
Erm,
I think they stayed.
Breaking News on Fox
5 indictments against Laurean. Death penalty waived only if he is extradited from Mexico. If he is caught in any other country - the death penalty is in place.
I hope he is chased & captured in Central America or better still - Texas!
5 indictments for what? Have they said yet?
Murder
Armed robbery
ATM fraud
kidnapping
attempted fraud (maybe Lowes)
Jacksonville — An Onslow County grand jury on Thursday indicted a Camp Lejeune Marine on five charges in the slaying of a pregnant comrade.
District Attorney Dewey Hudson announced at a news conference the return of indictments against Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean for first-degree murder, financial card theft, attempted financial card fraud, fraud and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
http://wral.com/news/local/story/2347267/
Hudson said he did not seek an indictment in the death of Lauterbach’s unborn child, because that would not be considered murder in North Carolina. Medical examiners are trying to determine the paternity and sex of the unborn child, he said.
The robbery indictment relates to an allegation that Laurean robbed Lauterbach of her ATM card and cash. He also was indicted charges of fraud, attempted fraud and financial card theft.
Investigators suspect that Laurean, a U.S. citizen, is in his native Mexico. Hudson said today that authorities believe he rode a bus into Mexico within two days of when he left Jacksonville. Laurean’s abandoned truck was found earlier this month behind a motel near the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Hudson said that he will not seek the death penalty for Laurean if he is arrested in Mexico. That country generally refuses to extradite people to the United States if they would be subject to capital punishment.
Hudson said he made the decision reluctantly. If he had insisted on the death penalty, Hudson said, Laurean might be able to live out his days in freedom in Mexico.
Hudson said he sought the indictment prior to Laurean’s arrest, an unusual move, because he wanted to make sure that all the legal requirements were in place for Laurean’s extradition. He noted, however, that Laurean is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until he is convicted.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2768/story/900936.html
No kidnapping, sodpoodle. Armed robbery? Has anybody heard anything about this?
Sorry about the *kdnapping* - thought he included it.
Armed robbery = robbery with a dangerous weapon.
I see from maggie’s article, sodpoodle. The robbery is because he stole Maria’s credit card by force. But armed? Hmmmm.
Armed with a crow bar?
“(a) ‘Armed with a dangerous weapon’. A person is considered armed with a dangerous weapon for purposes of this Article when he or she carries on or about his or her person or is otherwise armed wit a category I, or category II weapon. (b) A category I weapon is a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, spring gun, or any other firearm, sawed-off shotgun, a stun gun or taser as defined in paragraph (a) of Section 24-1 of this Code, knife with a blade of at least 3 inches in length, dagger, dirk, switchblade knife, stiletto, or any other deadly or dangerous weapon or instrument of like character. (c) A category II weapon is a bludgeon, blackjack, slungshot, sand-bag sandclub, metal knuckles, billy or other dangerous weapon of like character. (Emphasis added.)(720 ILCS 5/33A-1 (West 1994)).
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=il&vol=app/2001/3990309&invol=3
Hudson said Wednesday that preliminary findings from a military autopsy indicate that the slain Marine’s fetus had not been born alive.
Laurean could face a murder charge involving the fetus, if it had been born alive before Lauterbach died.
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, it would mean that the baby took a breath and that would establish life.
The military asked to conduct a second autopsy on Lauterbach following a state-performed autopsy.
Lauterbach’s family gave its approval for the Marine autopsy, which was completed Tuesday, Hudson said.
Hudson also said the military autopsy involved some procedures not done by the state, including reconstruction of Lauterbach’s skull. The state autopsy indicated that Lauterbach died from a blow to the head, contradicting a note Laurean left his wife saying that Lauterbach slit her throat during an argument.
Additional tests are being conducted to determine if Laurean was the fetus’ father, Hudson said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/24/missing.marine/?iref=hpmostpop
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