Arrest Warrant In Death Of Pregnant Marine

Gruesome Scene At Home Of Man Accused In Rape; Remains Of Woman, Unborn Child Found In Backyard Fire Pit

(CBS/AP)  Authorities issued an arrest warrant Saturday for a Marine corporal wanted in the death of a pregnant colleague, whose body they excavated from a fire pit in his backyard.

Authorities 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," Onslow County Sheriff Ed 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."

Lauterbach, who was 20 years old when she disappeared last month, was 8-and-a-half months pregnant.

The scene was at the home of 21-year-old Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean, about 15 minutes away from Camp Lejeune.

Laurean, whom Lauterbach accused of rape, disappeared early Friday morning. He was last seen in a black Dodge pickup.

Investigators have found blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall of the home of Laurean, Sheriff Brown said. It appeared that someone had tried to wash and paint over the blood, he said.

"The blood splatters indicate a violent, violent attack," Brown said. "I do think this case is going to be a bizzare ending - when I say bizarre, more than a death and a burial."

In a fire pit in the backyard of Laurean's home, authorities found burnt human remains roughly six inches to one foot underground, said Dr. Charles Garrett, the Onslow County medical examiner. Once fully recovered, he said, the remains will be sent to the state medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill for a positive identification using dental records.

A nationwide search for Laurean continued Saturday, a day after Brown identified him as the key suspect in the death of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach. She disappeared in December, just days after meeting with military prosecutors to talk about her allegation that Laurean raped her.

Even though Laurean was accused, the military had not taken him into custody.

He was not deemed to be a flight risk.

Paul Ciccarelli, of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, said, "As a matter of fact, the information developed this morning indicated there may have been a relationship, could be friendly in nature, that occurred after the incident was reported between the subject and the victim."

However, Lauterbach's uncle, Peter Steiner, 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.

There is no indication Lauterbach asked the military to protect her after she leveled the rape allegations, investigators said.

"She was raped," Steiner said. "The Marines, unfortunately, did not protect her, and now she's dead."

Before fleeing Jacksonville early Friday, Brown said, Laurean left a note that said Lauterbach had "come to his residence and cut her (own) throat."

Brown 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 comment when asked if authorities thought Christina Laurean was involved or even aware of her husband's actions.

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."

In the backyard of Laurean's home, authorities found what "appeared to be burnt human remains" in the fire pit, District Attorney Dewey Hudson said. State investigators planned to use garden tools to slowly scrape dirt from the site, protected overnight by a tarp and two white tents.

"We think we have found what will (contain) the skeletal remains of Maria Lauterbach," Hudson said.

Brown said Saturday 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, prosecutors 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.

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 was assigned to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune. She joined the Marines in June 2006, and had not been sent to either Iraq or Afghanistan. Laurean worked in the same unit, where both were personnel clerks.

[smo149221]

Lets see most serial killers are men.........most pedaphiles are men.......rapists..........men. HMMMMMM you would think someone by now would have done some research on the Male factor and violence....esp women and violence....why are men violent and what is it about them that the tendancy to violence is much higher than in women....testosterone maybe....Its scary being a woman....i think a lot of women can relate to that...

[kevzgrl]

Fry him or use the firing squad, either one would be entirely appropriate in this horrible case. How do you cut your OWN throat to commit suicide??? I surely wouldn''t think that was a very common way, or even a very successful way, as the knife starting to cut your skin would hurt a great deal and cause the person holding it/cutting to lose control of the knife. Hope they can tell from the remains which direction the cut was made, to prove SHE didn''t do it - otherwise, when they find him, his attorneys can claim there is no proof he KILLED her, and they can''t give the death penalty for abuse of corpse/burying her and fleeing. How long did the wife wait before giving the note to police - long enough to give him a good head-start??? She could be charged with obstruction, couldn''t she? Oh, I know there will be posters on here who will take me to task for saying he ought to be caught/tried/executed, but for Heaven''s sake, do you REALLY believe she cut her OWN throat and then tried to clean up the blood and burned herself, and ALL he did was bury her???

[mercyme884]

What is the matter with this world? The woman said she was raped, she got pregnant and was totally ignored by the law , whom she went to for help. But to be murdered and the jerk who raped her is still walking around free I ask you is this any kind of justice? What is this world coming to I think all men should be castrated,If a woman wants a child use artificial insemination. What we really need is a world full of homosexuals.

[gheemaster38]

He betrayed everything he swore to protect. The authorities knew the letter was a lie. 99.9% of us, if someone committed suicide in front of us or, if we found the body, would first call the police/EMS. But, to take the body out and burn it. I don''t think so pal. Like someone mentioned earlier, this was probably meant to be a "one night stand." She may have thought it was more until she found out about the wife. Whatever, the case this had a very Horrific ending, She did not deserve to die and the unborn child did nothing wrong

[davgrav]

thought fed had juristriction over state
Posted by crzmeat at 04:34 PM : Jan 12, 2008

From what I know, if a crime is committed off base by a military person the state has jurisdiction and can hand that person over to the military if deemed appropriate. The military does have the death penalty, but it has not executed anyone for over 30 years. North Carolina''s last execution was in 2006. If I were the prosecutor I wouldn''t hand him over.

[lindu813]

This man is not representative of the US Marines I knew. He is not worthy to serve in the Marines and I cannot believe he''ll be allowed to when the complete story is known. My deepest sympathy and empathy to the family of this young girl. Many times the military is completely unaware of what is happening within the system unless someone speaks up and then, as it was pointed out, they don''t act. It will be easy to blame the USMC for this but we don''t yet know all the facts. I blame one person and that is the man who killed her and her child. I hope he spends the remainder of his life in a military prison or is sentenced to death. The article says this man is not a flight risk, yet he fled the scene. If he is not in custody, bring him in and jail him.

[swwils]

This guy is no Marine he lost that no Semper fi,for him,only a courts martial awiting and civilian charges.He not only destroyed that girl and child but her family,his family and everyone that knew them both,plus the reputation of the Core,Always Faithful my ***.

[cara48917]

It is pathetic to see that the military hasn''t changed in 35 years. I was in the Navy from 1968 to 1972. I was raped by a Marine. Even though I filed charges the Navy did nothing. How many women have to suffer this abuse before something is done? How many women must have their lives destroyed or ended before someone forces the military to protect those who have the courage to face their attackers? This is a murder that could have been prevented. Until Congress changes the laws and makes the military subject to legal action by those whom the military has failed to protect nothing will change and more woment will have their lives destroyed.

[madashell4lo]

The obvious idiocy on the part of the prosecutor in not following normal guidelines, is tantamount to slaughtering the victim for coming forward. Was the reason that he was not remanded to custody, a matter of rank? Any American that brings the charge of rape, even against a spouse, should be afforded protection until trial. This case disgusts me to the core.

[libra808]

They have avidence she admited that he buried her. So that mean he burn her too. Why would you say you had nothing to do with it but burn her they bury her. He said he buried her so that means he burned her too. He stupid and he cant lie very well. I think they both had something going on........ this sounds wicked