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.
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.