Pregnant Marine is missing

[thedrifter]

Pregnant Marine is missing
January 8, 2008 - 2:31PM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The Onslow County Sheriff's Department is investigating the disappearance of a Camp Lejeune-based Marine.



Maria Frances Lauterbach, 20, of Midway Park, is with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group. She was reported missing on Dec. 19 by her mother. She is eight months pregnant, according to information from the Sheriff’s Department.

The white female is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds. She has blond hair, blue eyes, a Marine Corps tattoo on the upper right arm and a birthmark in the middle of her back.

Lauterbach’s mother was the last to speak with her on Dec. 14 about 3:15 p.m. There has been no cell phone activity since that time, and the phone was found near the main gate at Camp Lejeune Dec. 20, according to information from the Sheriff's Department.

The Sheriff’s Department reported that Lauterbach’s mother told them her daughter was a witness to an incident on base and was supposed to testify in the matter.

“There are several findings and pieces of evidence that have been discovered that cause law enforcement to be concerned with the circumstances surrounding Maria’s disappearance,” a Sheriff’s Department news release said.

1st Lt. Richard Ulsh, a public affairs officer with the 2nd MLG, verified that Lauterbach is on active duty. He said the Marine Corps and U.S. Navy investigators are cooperating with the investigation.

The State Bureau of Investigation is also working on the case, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Anyone who comes in contact with the victim or locates her vehicle is asked to contact the Onslow County Sheriff's Department at 910-455-3113.

People with information also can contact Crime Stoppers at 938-3273. Those callers do not have to reveal their identities.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Investigators note bank activity on missing woman's account
BY LINDELL KAY
January 9, 2008 - 10:19PM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
JACKSONVILLE — As the search for a missing pregnant Marine continues, information has surfaced there was “suspicious activity” on her bank account Christmas Eve.

The Onslow County Sheriff’s Department is holding onto “sensitive information” pertaining to Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach, 20, who has been missing since Dec. 14.

“Bank records indicate the victim made a withdrawal on 12-14-07. There was suspicious activity on her account on 12-24-07, but none since,” according to information from the Sheriff’s Department obtained by The Daily News.

Lauterbach’s mother said she just wants to see her daughter and grandchild safe at home again.

Lauterbach is with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group. She last spoke to family Dec. 14 and was reported missing Dec. 19 by her mother.

Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she went missing, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

“She should be right at delivery time now,” Sheriff Ed Brown said Tuesday.

Investigators found her blue 2006 Hyundai Sonata at the Jacksonville Bus Station on Monday night. It was not there over the weekend, authorities said.

Crime scene investigators with the Sheriff’s Department and the State Bureau of Investigation went over Lauterbach’s car Wednesday looking for evidence but would not comment on any findings.

Lauterbach was a witness to an incident on base and was supposed to testify in the matter, according to the Sheriff’s Department, which declined to specify the incident. The Marine Corps would not elaborate on the case for which Lauterbach was supposed to testify or a court date.

Her cell phone was found Dec. 20 near the main gate at Camp Lejeune.

Lauterbach shared a boarding house with several people in Midway Park, which was searched by the Sheriff’s Department, investigators said.

Lauterbach is described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. She has blond hair, blue eyes, a Marine Corps tattoo on the upper right arm and a birthmark in the middle of her back.

Anyone who comes in contact with Lauterbach is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.

For the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department, call 910-455-3113; NCIS, 910-451-8071; SBI, 910-346-2121; Jacksonville police, 910-455-4000.
People with information also can contact Crime Stoppers at 938-3273. Those callers do not have to reveal their identities.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines Cooperating in Search for Pregnant Marine

Last Edited: Wednesday, 09 Jan 2008, 1:52 PM EST
Created: Wednesday, 09 Jan 2008, 1:46 PM EST

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) -- The Marine Corps said it is cooperating fully with the Onslow County Sheriff's Office in the disappearance of a pregnant Marine.

Officials at Camp Lejeune said Wednesday that they are hopeful for the safe return of 20-year-old Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach.

Authorities said Lauterbach disappeared before Christmas and that her cell phone was found December 20 near the main gate at Camp Lejeune. She is about eight months pregnant.

The Montgomery, Ohio native is with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group of the II Marine Expeditionary Force.

Camp Lejeune officials said Lauterbach joined the Marine Corps in June 2006 and was trained as a personnel clerk.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Police: Marine suspect in killing spotted
Corporal seen in Louisiana; may be headed to Texas
By Mike Baker - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 13, 2008 17:49:19 EST

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The key suspect in the brutal slaying of a 20-year-old pregnant Marine was spotted in Louisiana and could be headed into Texas, authorities said Sunday.

Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean was seen at a Greyhound bus station in Shreveport, La., Saturday night by several fellow passengers, said Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown. The bus Laurean was riding was headed to Texas, he said, but authorities didn’t know yet if he continued on that route.

“We’re working with the U.S. Marshal’s Service and other law enforcement agencies trying to locate him,” Shreveport police Chief Henry Whitehorn Sr. told The Associated Press. “We don’t know if he is still in the area. We believe it may have just been a pass through.”

Federal officials said Sunday they had issued a fugitive warrant for his arrest.

Brown said earlier that evidence in the case “leads us to believe that he would be a dangerous and violent person if put in a corner.”

Authorities said Saturday they found what they believe to be the remains of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child from a fire pit in Laurean’s backyard, where they suspect he burned and buried her body. The remains were sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill for a formal identification.

That same day, authorities issued a murder warrant for Laurean, 21, of the Las Vegas area. They believe he fled Jacksonville before dawn Friday after leaving behind a note in which he admitted burying her body but claimed Lauterbach cut her own throat in a suicide.

The federal warrant announced Sunday charges Laurean with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, said FBI officials in Charlotte. Bureau spokesman Newsom Summerlin said that while investigators don’t have any reason to believe he’s fled the country, that remains a possibility.

Lauterbach had disappeared sometime after Dec. 14, not long after she met with military prosecutors to talk about her April allegation that Laurean raped her. Naval investigators said Saturday the rape case was progressing and Laurean was under a protective order to stay away from Lauterbach.

Shreveport is roughly 950 miles southwest of Jacksonville, and is about two dozen miles from the Texas state line.

Authorities said earlier Sunday they could be less than two hours behind the fugitive, and Brown expressed hope that Laurean would be in custody soon.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure he doesn’t go any further than where he’s at,” Brown said.

Brown said the FBI, federal Marshals, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation were hunting for Laurean. Sheriff’s investigators were at the scene developing evidence, he said.

“While finding him is a main concern, the major concern is that we continue the investigation to clearly find the truth in what happened,” he said.

Brown has challenged Laurean’s assertion Lauterbach killed herself, citing what he described as evidence of a violent confrontation inside Laurean’s home — which he said left blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall.

Authorities received Laurean’s note about the purported suicide from Laurean’s wife, whom Brown has said is cooperating with authorities. Her family has described her as “heartbroken.”

Lauterbach’s mother reported her daughter missing Dec. 19. She had been placed on “unauthorized absence” status by the Marine Corps and was listed that day in a national law enforcement database as a “missing person at risk.”

Naval investigators said authorities didn’t consider Laurean a threat to Lauterbach, or later a flight risk, because they had indications the pair were on friendly terms. Laurean later refused to meet with investigators and left town without telling his lawyers where he was going.

———

Associated Press writer Harry R. Weber in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Warrant issued for suspect in Marine death
By Mike Baker - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 13, 2008 15:17:29 EST

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Authorities issued an arrest warrant Saturday for a Marine corporal wanted in the death of a pregnant colleague, whose burnt remains were excavated from a fire pit in his back yard.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said investigators also recovered the remains of Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach’s unborn child.

“The fetus was developed enough that the little hand was about the size of my thumb,” Brown said. “The little fingers were rolled up and this is consistent with what we were looking for, a pregnant lady who is the victim, Maria Lauterbach, and her unborn child.”

A nationwide search is under way for Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, who authorities said fled Jacksonville early Friday morning after leaving his wife a note in which he admitted burying Lauterbach’s body.

Lauterbach had accused Laurean of rape, and authorities have described a violent confrontation inside his home that left blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall. It appeared that someone had tried to wash and paint over the blood, Brown said.

Lauterbach, 20, disappeared in December, just days after meeting with military prosecutors to talk about the rape allegations. Her remains were found in a fire pit in the back yard of Laurean’s home, buried up to a foot in ashes and dirt, said Dr. Charles Garrett, the county medical examiner.

Garrett and Brown said the remains will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill for a formal identification using dental records.

“As well as I could see, the body was much charred,” Brown said. “The fetus was in the abdominal area of that adult. ... That is tragic, and it’s disgusting.”

Laurean’s note said Lauterbach had “come to his residence and cut her (own) throat,” Brown said. He confirmed Saturday that authorities received the note from Laurean’s wife, Christina, around 8 a.m. Friday, about four hours after they suspect he fled.

Laurean wrote in the note that he had nothing to do with Lauterbach’s suicide, but that he had buried her body, the sheriff said.

Authorities have dismissed the idea that Lauterbach killed herself, pointing to the blood stains and the obvious signs of a cleanup inside Laurean’s one-story, brown brick ranch home. Brown challenged Laurean, who has not been charged with a crime, to come forward and defend his claims of innocence.

Brown declined to say whether authorities thought Christina Laurean had a hand in Lauterbach’s disappearance.

She is “heartbroken,” said her mother, Debbie Sue Shifflet.

“I feel sorry for the other family,” Shifflet said. “It’s horrible what they’re going through. My heart goes out to them.”

Brown said there had been no sightings of Laurean, 21, of the Las Vegas area. He had refused to meet with investigators and left without telling his lawyers where he was going, the sheriff said.

Lauterbach met with military prosecutors last month to discuss pursuing rape charges against Laurean, said Kevin Marks, supervisory agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at Camp Lejeune. He said military prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to argue that the case should go to trial.

In court papers filed this week, authorities said the anticipated birth of the baby “might provide evidentiary credence to charges she lodged with military authorities that she was sexually assaulted.” Lauterbach reported the rape in April and was due to give birth in mid-February, authorities said.

Outside the family’s home in Vandalia, Ohio, on Friday night, Lauterbach’s uncle, Pete Steiner, said the rapist was the father.

Authorities said they had not been concerned that Laurean would flee because they had information he and Lauterbach carried on a “friendly relationship” even after she reported the assault to military authorities. There is no indication Lauterbach asked the military to protect her after she leveled the rape allegations, investigators said.

Steiner, however, said his niece didn’t have any kind of relationship with her attacker, and that Lauterbach had been forced to rent a room off base because of harassment at Camp Lejeune.

“She was raped,” Steiner said. “The Marines, unfortunately, did not protect her, and now she’s dead.”

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Lauterbach was reported missing Dec. 19 by her mother, who last spoke with her daughter on Dec. 14, authorities said. Her cell phone was found Dec. 20 near the main gate at Camp Lejeune, and she missed a Dec. 26 prenatal care appointment.

Lauterbach, who joined the Marines in 2006, and Laurean were personnel clerks in the 2nd Marine Logistics Group of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune. Neither had been sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Pregnant Marine called friendly but tough
By James Hannah - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Jan 12, 2008 16:26:24 EST

VANDALIA, Ohio — The apparent death of a pregnant Marine has stunned her hometown friends, who described Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach as friendly and polite but athletic and tough — a person who wouldn’t be bullied.

Remains thought to be Lauterbach’s were found Saturday in a fire pit in the back yard of a fellow Marine corporal, authorities said.

Her neighbors remembered her as vibrant.

“What I remember was her zest for living,” said neighbor Kent Zimmerman. “She loved sports. Whatever the game in the neighborhood was, she was in it. She played at 110 percent. She always wanted to win, but she played fair.”

Standing outside Vandalia-Butler High School on Saturday, Darren Himsworth talked about Lauterbach as he awaited baseball practice.

Himsworth first met Lauterbach at a youth theater, where she was part of the stage crew. He was closer to her younger sisters, but would often see Maria when he went over to the Lauterbach home.

“She’s a real nice person,” the 16-year-old Himsworth said, as he clutched a baseball glove and green aluminum bat. “She’s very tough for a girl. She just didn’t let anyone push her around. I wouldn’t mess with her.”

Himsworth was not surprised that Lauterbach joined the Marines because of “how tough-hearted she was.”

He said she had a sense of humor and was active in extracurricular activities, including softball and soccer.

“She was an amazing soccer player,” he said.

Himsworth said Lauterbach’s friends and acquaintances are stunned by what happened.

Authorities said they found evidence inside the house in Jacksonville, N.C., that suggested she had been killed, even though a suspect left a note insisting she committed suicide, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said.

Jordan Martin, 17, knew Lauterbach and used to spend some time at the family home when he was younger,

“We were just kids. We all hung out,” he said as met with friends at the high school gym just before Friday night’s basketball game against Troy.

Martin described Lauterbach as “tomboyish.”

“She liked to do boy stuff,” he recalled. “That’s why we got along really well.”

He said his mother is especially close to the Lauterbachs.

“It’s heartbreaking because they’re good friends,” he said.

Vandalia, a bedroom community about 10 miles north of Dayton, has an aviation flavor. Dayton International Airport sits in Vandalia’s backyard, and the community hosts the Dayton Air Show each July. Even the high school teams are nicknamed the Aviators.

Zimmerman said when his family moved into the neighborhood 10 years ago, Lauterbach showed up on his front porch.

“She knocked on the door and she said, ‘I’m Maria, and I’d like to meet your kids. Do they play sports?’ he recalled. “We could just count on just about every morning she’d knock on the door and say, ‘Mr. Zimmerman, are your kids up yet?”’

Zimmerman said Lauterbach wanted to serve her country.

“I remember when she was in high school I asked had she thought about going on to college. Her goal was to be a Marine and wear the uniform,” he said.

Larry Gideon, 62, who served with the Marines in Vietnam, called it a “terrible tragedy.”

Standing outside the high school on his way to attend a cheerleading competition, Gideon thumbed through his planner and twirled his sunglasses while wearing a somber look.

“Nobody seems to understand how in the world can somebody do that. It’s just senseless brutality,” he said. “The buzz is that it’s just an awful, stupid tragedy. Nobody knows quite what to make of it.”

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Laurean spotted in Louisiana
LINDELL KAY
January 14, 2008 - 1:11AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
As the manhunt for Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean focused on Louisiana and Texas, Onslow County investigators spent a long night talking to his wife about the alleged murder of Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach.

Laurean, 21, is charged with killing Lauterbach, 20, a fellow Camp Lejeune Marine whose disappearance sometime in mid-December has attracted nationwide attention that heightened with the apparent discovery of her remains on Friday.

Laurean is also suspected of raping Lauterbach in April, resulting in her pregnancy. He became the prime suspect after his wife delivered a note to law-enforcement officials on Friday and said Laurean had fled that morning.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown had earlier described the suspect's wife - Christina S. Laurean, also a Marine - as a "cooperating witness." Family members have said she is "heartbroken."

Sources who say they know Cesar Laurean through his work have said that he had been telling people that his wife has been pregnant for several months. Investigators say they have no reason to believe that Christina Laurean is pregnant.

Charred remains believed to be that of Lauterbach were found in the back yard of the Laureans' home on Meadow Trial, near Jacksonville in the Half Moon area. Brown announced the remains "appeared to be the bodies of an adult female with a fetus located near the abdomen region of the female."

Law-enforcement officials have said that Cesar Laurean admitted in the note to burning and burying Lauterbach, but he claims she committed suicide by cutting her own throat - a version of events that Brown has said doesn't square with the evidence.

The sheriff said investigators found blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall at the Laureans' residence, indicating a violent struggle.

Under North Carolina law, a suspect cannot be charged with murder for the death of a child unless the baby was born before it was killed, said Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson.

"While finding him is a main concern, the major concern is that we continue the investigation to clearly find the truth in what happened," he said.

The search for Laurean entered its third day with the first reports of sightings.

Three witnesses told law-enforcement officers they had seen Laurean at a bus station in Shreveport, La., around midnight Sunday.

Laurean was seen getting on or off a Greyhound bus, Shreveport Police Chief Henry Whitehorn Sr. told the Associated Press.

"We're working with the U.S. Marshal's Service and other law enforcement agencies trying to locate him," Whitehorn said. "We don't know if he is still in the area. We believe it may have just been a pass through. We received information he may be headed into Texas."

An open-ended ticket to El Paso, Texas, that was purchased by Lauterbach on Dec. 15 had not been used, Brown said.

Shreveport is roughly 950 miles southwest of Jacksonville, about 25 miles from the Texas border and three hours east of Dallas. It is more than 800 miles east of El Paso.

"It will be a short trip - a short vacation - for Mr. Laurean," Brown said. "His vacation may be short, his travel may be long, but I hope we'll be there to help him return."

The three people who say they saw Laurean have been interviewed extensively by U.S. marshals and are believed to be credible, Brown said.

The sheriff would not comment on a report that Laurean's black 2004 quad cab Dodge pickup, North Carolina license plate number TRR 1522, had been found.

Earlier Sunday, Brown said Laurean was seen by a member of the general public, describing it only as a "transit" sighting.

At one time, a local law-enforcement officer said authorities were less than two hours behind Laurean. Brown said the gap was more like five hours, but it was closing.

"I do feel comfortable that Mr. Laurean will be located," Brown said, adding that the evidence in the case "leads us to believe that he would be a dangerous and violent person if put in a corner."

Brown said the FBI, federal marshals, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are hunting for Laurean, focusing on Louisiana and Texas.

Local investigators are spending much of their time on developing evidence, he said.

While the search is under way, questions have been raised by the media and the public about the level of cooperation between the civilian and military authorities in the investigation of Lauterbach's disappearance.

Lauterbach disappeared sometime after Dec. 14, not long after she met with military prosecutors to talk about her April allegation that Laurean raped her.

Brown and Hudson announced at a press conference Saturday that a military protective order requiring Laurean to stay 1,000 feet from Lauterbach was issued in May but not revealed to civilian authorities until investigators found a copy of it in Lauterbach's car.

Lauterbach's mother reported her daughter missing Dec. 19. She had been placed on "unauthorized absence" status by the Marine Corps and was listed that day in a national law enforcement database as a "missing person at risk."

Naval investigators said authorities didn't consider Laurean a threat to Lauterbach, or later a flight risk, because they had indications the pair were on friendly terms. Laurean later refused to meet with investigators and left town without telling his lawyers where he was going.

"The command is currently collecting information and conducting a review to determine what information was available to commanders and when that information was available in relation to Lance Cpl. Lauterbach," said Lt. Col. Curtis Hill, public affairs officer for II Marine Expeditionary Force, to which both Laurean and Lauterbach were attached.

In an e-mailed news release, Hill said it was premature to discuss the situation further until the review is completed.

"We understand the press and public desire to know what happened but want to ensure whatever information we release is accurate and that our release of information would not adversely impact any ongoing investigation and/or future judicial proceeding."

Laurean is described as a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. He weighs about 160 pounds.

The nationwide search for Laurean began Friday, after officials learned he had fled early that morning. He previously had not been considered a flight risk.

"His attorney would not let us talk to him," Brown said Friday. "We have set two or three appointments to talk to him and he has not shown up."

After investigators discovered the remains, Onslow County authorities issued a warrant for Laurean's arrest on charges of murder, financial card fraud and obtaining property by false pretense.

The remains have been sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office in Chapel Hill for a formal identification.

Though officials could not conclusively identify the bodies immediately, there was "compelling evidence" to believe the bodies were that of Lauterbach and her unborn child.

Meanwhile, a fax purported to be from the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas group that has infuriated many Americans by picketing the funerals of U.S. troops killed in Iraq, announced that the church planned to picket at Camp Lejeune on Saturday. The news release summarizes events related to Lauterbach's death and unleashes a litany of harsh statements against the Marine Corps.



The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact police reporter Lindell Kay at lkay@freedomenc.com or 910-554-8534. To comment on this story or to read others' comments go to jdnews.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

People find ways to honor Lauterbach
STAFF REPORTS
January 14, 2008 - 1:11AM
Plans for a candlelight vigil are developing and many tributes are appearing via the Internet as family, friends and total strangers find ways to honor the life of Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach.

Cristal Romeo of Jacksonville is organizing a candlelight vigil in memory of Lauterbach and her unborn child this Friday evening at 7 p.m. at Northeast Creek Park on Corbin Road.

"I never met her, but I was in the National Guard and my husband is in the Marine Corps, and when I saw how deeply this affected so many people, including myself, I wanted to honor her and feel she deserves this," Romeo said.

Romeo is also consulting a lawyer, as she intends to circulate a petition to request the state of North Carolina to change state law to allow double murder charges in cases of a pregnant woman's homicide.

"God forbid this ever happens again, but if it does, then I hope the murderer will be charged with both murders," Romeo said.

Romeo said she plans to invite Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown to speak and hopes members of the department and other departments involved in the case will participate and sign the petition also.

By Sunday afternoon, a makeshift memorial had begun to spring up at the house on Idlebrook Circle where Lauterbach lived with other Marines.

A slight rain fell on a stuffed animal penguin and a bouquet of flowers left by someone that started the memorial.

Tributes and memorial pages have sprung up across the Internet as those who knew Maria Lauterbach, as well as thousands who did not, mourn her death.

On a legacy.com guestbook, one man said Maria was "one of the best friends I could have ever asked for."

"Maria, this world was lucky enough to have you in it for 20 years," wrote a young woman who mentioned spending time with Lauterbach at a mall in Wilmington.

Others, including a handful of people who said they played softball or other sports with Maria, expressed their sympathy to the family.

Two women who said they went to boot camp with Lauterbach posted memories on the legacy.com site, and one of those women posted on a remembrance.com site as well.

"Lauterbach, you were a great friend, Marine and daughter and you will be missed dearly," wrote a person who identified themselves as Ashley Dupuis and posted a photo of herself and Lauterbach at graduation from Parris Island.

Multiple groups, including one started by a family member of Lauterbach's, have been started on the social networking site facebook.com as well.

Sean Garner contacted The Daily News after reading the reports about Lauterbach online. He said he has known Lauterbach since they were both very young.

"We were like each other's first friends," he said. Lauterbach was always "unbelievably energetic, unbelievably optimistic," Garner said. "She was just always looking for fun, even when it seemed a little bit crazy."

Garner moved away while he was still young, but kept in touch with Lauterbach. He said he was not surprised when she joined the Marine Corps, and thought it might bring some discipline in her life. Lauterbach was always athletic and was a great soccer player, he said. But she did have a hard time with many things in her life and had emotional issues, Garner said.
"She was probably very misunderstood by a lot of people," said Garner, who considered himself one of the few people who really knew Lauterbach, at least when she was younger. "I can definitely say that I wish I had kept in touch with her a lot better than I did."

In her hometown of Vandalia, Ohio, friends remembered Lauterbach and described her as friendly and polite but athletic and tough - a person who wouldn't be bullied.

Her former neighbors who spoke to the Associated Press remembered her as vibrant.

"What I remember was her zest for living," neighbor Kent Zimmerman said. "She loved sports. Whatever the game in the neighborhood was, she was in it. She played at 110 percent. She always wanted to win, but she played fair."

Standing outside Vandalia-Butler High School on Saturday, Darren Himsworth talked about Lauterbach as he awaited baseball practice.

Himsworth first met Lauterbach at a youth theater, where she was part of the stage crew. He was closer to her younger sisters, but would often see Maria when he went over to the Lauterbach home.

"She's a real nice person," the 16-year-old Himsworth said, as he clutched a baseball glove and green aluminum bat. "She's very tough for a girl. She just didn't let anyone push her around. I wouldn't mess with her."

Himsworth was not surprised that Lauterbach joined the Marines because of "how tough-hearted she was."

He said she had a sense of humor and was active in extracurricular activities, including softball and soccer. "She was an amazing soccer player," he said.

Jordan Martin, 17, knew Lauterbach and used to spend some time at the family home when he was younger,

"We were just kids. We all hung out," he said as met with friends at the high school gym just before Friday night's basketball game against Troy.

Martin described Lauterbach as "tomboyish."

"She liked to do boy stuff," he recalled. "That's why we got along really well."

He said his mother is especially close to the Lauterbachs.

"It's heartbreaking because they're good friends," he said.

Vandalia, a bedroom community about 10 miles north of Dayton, has an aviation flavor. Dayton International Airport sits in Vandalia's backyard, and the community hosts the Dayton Air Show each July. Even the high school teams are nicknamed the Aviators.

Zimmerman said when his family moved into the neighborhood 10 years ago, Lauterbach showed up on his front porch.

"She knocked on the door and she said, 'I'm Maria and I'd like to meet your kids. Do they play sports?' he recalled. "We could just count on just about every morning she'd knock on the door and say, 'Mr. Zimmerman, are your kids up yet?'"

Zimmerman said Lauterbach wanted to serve her country.

"I remember when she was in high school I asked had she thought about going on to college. Her goal was to be a Marine and wear the uniform," he said.

Larry Gideon, 62, who served with the Marines in Vietnam, called it a "terrible tragedy."

Standing outside the high school on his way to attend a cheerleading competition, Gideon thumbed through his planner and twirled his sunglasses while wearing a somber look.

"Nobody seems to understand how in the world can somebody do that. It's just senseless brutality," he said. "The buzz is that it's just an awful, stupid tragedy. Nobody knows quite what to make of it."



Daily News writers Jennifer Hlad and Suzanne Ulbrich and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Many go online to express condolences for Marine

By Margo Rutledge Kissell

Staff Writer

Monday, January 14, 2008

People from the Miami Valley and across the nation on Sunday continued to reach out to the family of slain Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach of Vandalia by expressing their condolences online.

By Sunday evening, there were more than 25 pages at DaytonDailyNews.com filled with notes of sympathy over the brutal death of the 20-year-old woman and her unborn child. Thoughts came from friends in Vandalia, fellow Marines across the country, and people from as far away as Oregon and Maine.

Authorities have recovered what they believe to be Lauterbach's burned remains from a fire pit in Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean's backyard in Onslow County, N.C. Lauterbach had accused Laurean of raping her.

"There are no words to describe the gloom that hangs over Jacksonville, N.C. right now," Jacksonville resident Michelle Sanford wrote Saturday. "Everyone in this county has been glued to their televisions. We are shocked. We wish the Lauterbach family peace. May Maria and her unborn child rest in peace."

Ashley Dupuis of Phoenix, Ariz., directed her personal message to Maria Lauterbach and attached a picture of the two women when they graduated from boot camp in 2006.

"Lauterbach you were a great friend, marine, and daughter and you will be missed dearly," Dupuis wrote.

The Dotler family from Cutler, Ohio, expressed their sadness.

"Even though we never knew her, we have had them on our minds everyday and night. We thank her for serving and keeping our country free."

Another message came from Vandalia, where Lauterbach's parents, Victor and Mary Lauterbach, reside with their four other children.

"Mary and family — I'm praying like I've never prayed before. Know that your St. Christopher family is praying as well and would do anything in our power to help," wrote the person who signed it simply, "Parish Member."

Jessie Hendrix in Lilburn, Ga., also said she was praying for Lauterbach, her unborn baby and her family.

"Just to become a Marine is such a triumph! She endured more than anyone will ever know, I am sure. That speaks volumes about her in my book. May God embrace her and keep her and bring Peace to her loved ones."


Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2094 or mkissell@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Warrant issued as Marine's family questions investigation

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (AP) — For months after a pregnant 20-year-old Marine accused a colleague of rape, her family says, she continued to work alongside her attacker and endured harassment at Camp Lejeune.

In the weeks after she disappeared, they believe, the sheriff's department was slow to act.

As authorities recovered Maria Lauterbach's remains Saturday from a fire pit where they suspect Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean burned and buried her body, her family asked why authorities didn't treat her case with greater urgency.

Naval investigators on Saturday said the pair had been separated on the job, a rape case was progressing and Laurean was under a protective order to stay away from Lauterbach. And Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown insisted his department acted as best they could on the facts available.

"As soon as it went suspicious, we contacted the media and asked for help," Brown said. "The case did not produce enough evidence, other than she was just missing."

On Saturday, her burnt remains, and those of her unborn child, were excavated from Laurean's backyard.

"As well as I could see, the body was much charred," Brown said. "The fetus was in the abdominal area of that adult. ... That is tragic, and it's disgusting."

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant on murder charges for Laurean, 21, of the Las Vegas area. They say he fled Jacksonville after leaving behind a note in which he admitted burying her body.

In his note, Laurean wrote Lauterbach cut her own throat in a suicide, but Brown doesn't believe it and challenged Laurean to come forward and defend his claims of innocence.

Authorities have described a violent confrontation inside Laurean's home that left blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall.

County prosecutor Dewey Hudson said Laurean had been in contact with three attorneys, including Mark E. Raynor, who declined to comment Saturday.

Lauterbach disappeared sometime after Dec. 14, not long after she met with military prosecutors to talk about her April allegation that Laurean raped her.

Her uncle, Pete Steiner, said that Lauterbach — stung by the harassment that eventually forced her to move off base — decided to drop the case the week before she disappeared.

Paul Chiccarelli, the special agent in charge of Naval Criminal Investigative Service at Camp Lejeune, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Marine commanders submitted requests in October to send the case to the military's version of a grand jury. A military protective order had been automatically issued in May and renewed three times.

"Anytime there is a sexual assault allegation involved, that's a standard routine," he said.

Lauterbach and Laurean served in the same unit of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, and court documents indicate Lauterbach's mother told authorities Laurean had threatened her daughter's career.

Steiner said Saturday on ABC's Good Morning America the Marines didn't separate the two personnel clerks, but Chiccarelli said Marine commanders assigned them to separate buildings on May 12.

Neither Brown or Hudson would say Saturday if they would have treated the case differently had they known about the protective order, which they discovered Friday night.

Chiccarelli said sheriff's office investigators were told about the order on Monday.

But Chiccarelli again said investigators didn't consider Laurean a threat to Lauterbach, or later a flight risk, because they had indications the pair were on friendly terms. He declined to detail those indications on Saturday.

Lauterbach's mother reported her daughter missing Dec. 19 — five days after she last spoke with her. By that time, she had been placed on "unauthorized absence" status by the Marine Corps.

"Several steps were taken to contact her via telephone, cellphone, even in person by sending Marines to her residence," said II MEF spokesman Lt. Col. Curtis Hill. "At that time, there was no reason to believe anything other than she had voluntarily placed herself in an unauthorized absence status."

Hill said that Lauterbach also left her roommate a note saying she was "going away" and apologized for "the inconvenience."

An Onslow County Sheriff's employee contacted Naval investigators Dec. 19 after hearing from police in Ohio and listed her as a "missing person at risk" in a national law enforcement database. He met with Lauterbach's roommate the next day, but court documents indicate he was unable to reach the Marine officer who had been notified of her absence, as he was away on holiday leave.

The employee checked ditches along several highways for her car, and asked the State Highway Patrol and several area hospitals if they had had any contact with the missing Marine. None had. He left word with the department radio room to contact him with any developments before leaving Dec. 22 for a vacation.

Steiner said he and his sister, Maria's mother, told authorities they planned to fly to North Carolina around the Christmas holiday, but were advised not to because authorities believed Lauterbach was headed for Dayton.

Believing that authorities "dropped the ball," Steiner said the Lauterbachs eventually decided they could no longer wait. They flew to North Carolina and met with detectives Monday, the same day court documents indicate authorities first discovered Lauterbach's ATM card had been used by a white male on Christmas Eve and she missed a prenatal care appointment on Dec. 26.

Brown also learned about the case Monday. A series of search warrants were filed, and the case went public and he asked for help.

By that point, it was too late. Laurean refused to meet with investigators, and eventually skipped town before dawn Friday without telling his lawyers where he was going.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Family of pregnant Marine questions handling of case; authorities recover her remains in N.C.
By MIKE BAKER
Associated Press Writer
Jan 13, 2008 - 04:59:22 CST
JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — For months after a pregnant 20-year-old Marine accused a colleague of rape, her family says, she continued to work alongside her attacker and endured harassment at Camp Lejeune.

In the weeks after she disappeared, they believe, the sheriff’s department was slow to act.

As authorities recovered Maria Lauterbach’s remains Saturday from a fire pit where they suspect Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean burned and buried her body, her family asked why authorities didn’t treat her case with greater urgency.

Naval investigators on Saturday said the pair had been separated on the job, a rape case was progressing and Laurean was under a protective order to stay away from Lauterbach. And Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown insisted his department acted as best they could on the facts available.

“As soon as it went suspicious, we contacted the media and asked for help,” Brown said. “The case did not produce enough evidence, other than she was just missing.”

On Saturday, her burnt remains, and those of her unborn child, were excavated from Laurean’s backyard.

“As well as I could see, the body was much charred,” Brown said. “The fetus was in the abdominal area of that adult. ... That is tragic, and it’s disgusting.”

Authorities have issued an arrest warrant on murder charges for Laurean, 21, of the Las Vegas area. They say he fled Jacksonville after leaving behind a note in which he admitted burying her body.

In his note, Laurean wrote Lauterbach cut her own throat in a suicide, but Brown doesn’t believe it and challenged Laurean to come forward and defend his claims of innocence.

Authorities have described a violent confrontation inside Laurean’s home that left blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall.

County prosecutor Dewey Hudson said Laurean had been in contact with three attorneys, including Mark E. Raynor, who declined to comment Saturday.

Lauterbach disappeared sometime after Dec. 14, not long after she met with military prosecutors to talk about her April allegation that Laurean raped her.

Her uncle, Pete Steiner, said that Lauterbach — stung by the harassment that eventually forced her to move off base — decided to drop the case the week before she disappeared.

Paul Chiccarelli, the special agent in charge of Naval Criminal Investigative Service at Camp Lejeune, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Marine commanders submitted requests in October to send the case to the military’s version of a grand jury. A military protective order had been automatically issued in May and renewed three times.

“Anytime there is a sexual assault allegation involved, that’s a standard routine,” he said.

Lauterbach and Laurean served in the same unit of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, and court documents indicate Lauterbach’s mother told authorities Laurean had threatened her daughter’s career.

Steiner said Saturday on ABC’s Good Morning America the Marines didn’t separate the two personnel clerks, but Chiccarelli said Marine commanders assigned them to separate buildings on May 12.

Neither Brown or Hudson would say Saturday if they would have treated the case differently had they known about the protective order, which they discovered Friday night.

Chiccarelli said sheriff’s office investigators were told about the order on Monday.

But Chiccarelli again said investigators didn’t consider Laurean a threat to Lauterbach, or later a flight risk, because they had indications the pair were on friendly terms. He declined to detail those indications on Saturday.

Lauterbach’s mother reported her daughter missing Dec. 19 — five days after she last spoke with her. By that time, she had been placed on “unauthorized absence” status by the Marine Corps.

“Several steps were taken to contact her via telephone, cell phone, even in person by sending Marines to her residence,” said II MEF spokesman Lt. Col. Curtis Hill. “At that time, there was no reason to believe anything other than she had voluntarily placed herself in an unauthorized absence status.”

Hill said that Lauterbach also left her roommate a note saying she was “going away” and apologized for “the inconvenience.”

An Onslow County Sheriff’s employee contacted Naval investigators Dec. 19 after hearing from police in Ohio and listed her as a “missing person at risk” in a national law enforcement database. He met with Lauterbach’s roommate the next day, but court documents indicate he was unable to reach the Marine officer who had been notified of her absence, as he was away on holiday leave.

The employee checked ditches along several highways for her car, and asked the State Highway Patrol and several area hospitals if they had had any contact with the missing Marine. None had. He left word with the department radio room to contact him with any developments before leaving Dec. 22 for a vacation.

Steiner said he and his sister, Maria’s mother, told authorities they planned to fly to North Carolina around the Christmas holiday, but were advised not to because authorities believed Lauterbach was headed for Dayton.

Believing that authorities “dropped the ball,” Steiner said the Lauterbachs eventually decided they could no longer wait. They flew to North Carolina and met with detectives Monday, the same day court documents indicate authorities first discovered Lauterbach’s ATM card had been used by a white male on Christmas Eve and she missed a prenatal care appointment on Dec. 26.

Brown also learned about the case Monday. A series of search warrants were filed, and the case went public and he asked for help.

By that point, it was too late. Laurean refused to meet with investigators, and eventually skipped town before dawn Friday without telling his lawyers where he was going.

———

Associated Press writers Estes Thompson in Raleigh and Jim Hannah in Vandalia, Ohio, contributed to this report.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Police: Suspect in slain N.C. Marine case may be headed to Texas; last seen at La. bus station

By: MIKE BAKER - Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. -- The nationwide manhunt for a Marine wanted in the brutal slaying of a 20-year-old pregnant colleague who had accused him of rape focused Sunday on Louisiana and Texas, after he was spotted at a bus station.

Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean was seen at a Shreveport, La., station Saturday night, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said. The bus Laurean was riding was headed to Texas, but police don't know if he continued on that route, he said.

"It will be a short trip -- a short vacation -- for Mr. Laurean," Brown said. "His vacation may be short, his travel may be long, but I hope we'll be there to help him return."


On Saturday, authorities said they recovered what they believe to be the burned remains of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child from a fire pit in Laurean's backyard, where they suspect he burned and buried her body.

Those remains have been sent to the state medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill for a formal identification.

That same day, state authorities issued an arrest warrant on murder charges for Laurean, 21, of the Las Vegas area. They believe he fled Jacksonville before dawn Friday after leaving behind a note in which he admitted burying her body but claimed Lauterbach cut her own throat in a suicide.

Brown has challenged Laurean's assertion that Lauterbach killed herself, citing what he described as evidence of a violent confrontation inside Laurean's home -- blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall.

Brown said Sunday that evidence in the case "leads us to believe that he would be a dangerous and violent person if put in a corner."

"What I've seen and what we've discovered indicates he does have a real heinous behavior about him," he said.

Brown has said Lauterbach purchased a bus ticket to El Paso, Texas, around the time of her disappearance, but said Sunday authorities are not in possession of the ticket. Shreveport is roughly 950 miles southwest of Jacksonville, and is about two dozen miles from the Texas state line and more than 800 miles east of El Paso.

Shreveport police Chief Henry Whitehorn Sr. told The Associated Press said his department is working with the U.S. Marshal's Service and other law enforcement agencies to locate Laurean.

"We don't know if he is still in the area," Whitehorn said. "We believe it may have just been a pass through."

The FBI said Sunday that Laurean was also wanted on a federal warrant charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Bureau spokesman Newsom Summerlin said that while investigators don't have any reason to believe he's fled the country, that remains a possibility.

Along with the FBI, Brown said federal Marshals, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are hunting for Laurean.

Meanwhile, sheriff's investigators at the scene are spending much of their time on developing evidence, he said.

"While finding him is a main concern, the major concern is that we continue the investigation to clearly find the truth in what happened," he said.

Lauterbach disappeared sometime after Dec. 14, not long after she met with military prosecutors to talk about her April allegation that Laurean raped her. Naval investigators said Saturday the rape case was progressing and Laurean had been under a protective order to stay away from Lauterbach.

Authorities received Laurean's note about the purported suicide from Laurean's wife, whom Brown has said is cooperating with authorities. Her family has described her as "heartbroken."

Lauterbach's mother reported her daughter missing Dec. 19. She had been placed on "unauthorized absence" status by the Marine Corps and was listed that day in a national law enforcement database as a "missing person at risk."

Naval investigators said authorities didn't consider Laurean a threat to Lauterbach, or later a flight risk, because they had indications the pair were on friendly terms. Laurean later refused to meet with investigators and left town without telling his lawyers where he was going.

Associated Press writer Harry R. Weber in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Slain Marine's ATM card found in Carolina bus station


JACKSONVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- The ATM card of slain Marine Maria Lauterbach was found in a Durham, North Carolina, bus station over the weekend and the truck of the Marine suspected of killing her was reported in the area, police said Monday.

The search for that suspect, Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, was "earthwide," Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said at a news conference Monday. He said a $25,000 reward is available to anyone providing information leading to Laurean's capture.

Laurean has evaded authorities since Friday, when his wife gave authorities a note the Marine had written saying Lauterbach, 20, had killed herself and that he had buried her in the backyard of their home near Camp Lejeune, police said.

Brown said he expected Laurean was getting help in hiding and asked friends or family to turn in the Marine corporal if he makes contact.

"I would imagine he's getting help ... even though he's committed this horrible crime, he's still got friends," Brown said.

Laurean, 21, of Nevada, is believed to have been driving a black Dodge pickup with North Carolina license plate TRR1522.

The sheriff described Laurean as "dangerous," especially if cornered.

A warrant for Laurean's arrest on murder charges was issued over the weekend.

Brown said evidence shows Lauterbach, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, was killed on or about December 15, four days before she was reported missing to local law enforcement authorities.

Her burned body and a fetus were believed to have been found Saturday in a pit in the backyard of Laurean's home. An autopsy was pending.

Lauterbach, a lance corporal who worked with Laurean, had accused Laurean of raping her last spring.

Brown described the scene authorities found in Laurean's back yard over the weekend -- a charred body with a fetus.

The fetus was developed enough that the "little hand was about the size of my thumb. The little fingers were rolled up," he said.

"One of the things that will probably stick with me for a long time, and forever, is that little hand, the way those fingers were turned, that had been burned off the arm. That is bizarre. That is tragic. And it's disgusting."

Lauterbach disappeared from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, shortly before she was to testify at a military hearing about her rape accusation against Laurean. See timeline of events in the case »
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01...p#cnnSTCOther1

Lauterbach's relatives believe her pregnancy was the result of the alleged rape, said Lauterbach's uncle, Peter Steiner, a Kentucky psychiatrist.

Lauterbach's mother, Mary Lauterbach, reported her as missing from Camp Lejeune on December 19. Mary Lauterbach said she had not talked with her daughter for five days.

Military officials said Laurean was not taken into custody after Lauterbach reported the alleged rape because there was information the two carried on "some sort of friendly relationship" after she filed the complaint against him. Watch how Marines have handled rape case »
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01...op#cnnSTCVideo

Steiner disputed that and said his niece had no relationship with Laurean.

In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Marines said they are investigating what information Lauterbach's superiors had and what steps were taken regarding the case.

"It is premature to discuss those actions until the review is completed," said Lt. Col. Curtis Hill, a Marine Corps spokesman.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/alert/laurean_ca.htm

[thedrifter]

Slain Marine's ATM card found in Carolina bus station


JACKSONVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- The ATM card of slain Marine Maria Lauterbach was found in a Durham, North Carolina, bus station over the weekend and the truck of the Marine suspected of killing her was reported in the area, police said Monday.

The search for that suspect, Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, was "Earthwide," Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said at a news conference Monday. He said the FBI is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone providing information leading to Laurean's capture.

Laurean has evaded authorities since Friday, when his wife gave authorities a note the Marine had written saying Lauterbach, 20, had killed herself and that he had buried her in the backyard of their home near Camp Lejeune, police said.

Brown said he expected Laurean was getting help in hiding and asked friends or family to turn in the Marine corporal if he makes contact.

"I would imagine he's getting help ... even though he's committed this horrible crime, he's still got friends," Brown said.

Laurean, 21, of Nevada, is believed to have been driving a black Dodge pickup with North Carolina license plate TRR1522.

The sheriff described the 5-foot, 9-inch tall, 160-pound Laurean as "dangerous," especially if cornered. Watch announcement of $25,000 reward »

A warrant for Laurean's arrest on murder charges was issued over the weekend. The FBI said Monday it has also obtained a federal warrant for Laurean's arrest on charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Electronic billboards with the wanted poster for Laurean will soon be appearing across the country, the FBI said.

Brown said evidence shows Lauterbach, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her disappearance, was killed on or about December 15, four days before she was reported missing to local law enforcement authorities.

Her burned body and a fetus were believed to have been found Saturday in a pit in the backyard of Laurean's home. An autopsy was pending.

Lauterbach, a lance corporal who worked with Laurean, had accused Laurean of raping her last spring.

Brown described the scene authorities found in Laurean's back yard over the weekend -- a charred body with a fetus.

The fetus was developed enough that the "little hand was about the size of my thumb. The little fingers were rolled up," he said.

"One of the things that will probably stick with me for a long time, and forever, is that little hand, the way those fingers were turned, that had been burned off the arm. That is bizarre. That is tragic. And it's disgusting."

Lauterbach disappeared from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, shortly before she was to testify at a military hearing about her rape accusation against Laurean. See timeline of events in the case »

Lauterbach's relatives believe her pregnancy was the result of the alleged rape, said Lauterbach's uncle, Peter Steiner, a Kentucky psychiatrist.

Lauterbach's mother, Mary Lauterbach, reported her as missing from Camp Lejeune on December 19. Mary Lauterbach said she had not talked with her daughter for five days.

Military officials said Laurean was not taken into custody after Lauterbach reported the alleged rape because there was information the two carried on "some sort of friendly relationship" after she filed the complaint against him.

Steiner disputed that and said his niece had no relationship with Laurean.

In a statement issued Sunday evening, the Marines said they are investigating what information Lauterbach's superiors had and what steps were taken regarding the case.

"It is premature to discuss those actions until the review is completed," said Lt. Col. Curtis Hill, a Marine Corps spokesman.

Ellie