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]

At the abc11 link, there is a closeup of the plate. Can’t read it too well. It starts with a T, last 4 numbers are 1522. Sounds right. Anyone know what his plate no. was?

[maggief]

Better pics of the truck’s plates here:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=5892791

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

north carolina TRR1522

[Sue Perkick]

I’m pretty sure that’s it!

[Girlene]

Looks like the right plates, then.

[usmcobra]

mark

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

FBI press release update http://charlotte.fbi.gov/pressrel/2008/ce011508.htm

[najida]

Ya know yer havin’ a bad day when your face is on billboards across the country and you aren’t running for office or selling something.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

"when your face is on billboards "

trouble is, he's probably changed his face

[debm29palms]

re:checking flights

Shouldn’t they have done that the second he was gone???

[najida]

He’ll get caught. I don’t know when, but he’ll get caught.

[Girlene]

Here's info on the truck find at nbc17

"Onslow County Sheriff's Officials said the black truck was found in the parking lot of a Microtel hotel by Raleigh-Durham Airport police.

Investigators from the Onslow County Sheriff's Office received a lead about Laurens truck around 1 p.m. Tuesday and contacted investigators in the Raleigh area who were able to confirm the vehicle did belong to the wanted Marine.

FBI officials already searched the hotel for Laurean but didn’t find him. Officials don’t know how long the truck has been at the hotel.

Onslow Sheriff and lead investigator in the case are on the way to Morrisville."

[sodpoodle]

How could we forget those 3 aliases???

Marine or Boy Scout - he was prepared!

[Girlene]

I would think he'd head to Mexico. Here's a list of airline destinations from the airport. There aren't any direct flights to Mexico. Delta's flights to Cancun don't start until February. He could always get a connecting flight elsewhere.

[sodpoodle]

He must have emptied Lauterbach’s ATM. That was a risk if he has money or credit cards of his own.

Have to believe the Feds are monitoring his credit card usage - unless he has cards under one of his aliases.

Maybe he cashed out before fleeing.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

maybe he knows someone with a small plane

[debm29palms]

This guy on WITN.....LOL....I had lunch with him a couple weeks ago along with my widow support group. He has three motorcycles....

Weird to see him giving this report.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

i’m a cubicle critter today - any news from the USMC at the presser?

[debm29palms]

May 11th.....her pregnancy test post “rape” is NEGATIVE!!!

[Girlene]

Well, they should look for cash transactions and one-way tickets at the airport. Same at the hotel...look for cash transactions vs. credit cards to see if he’s got a new alias. Do you have to show any ID at a hotel if you pay cash? If not, he could have signed in as Bob Smith.

I’d be checking Saturday and Sunday flights first. After the FBI alert, it should have been more difficult for him to get on a plane.