Missing Pregnant Marine Found Dead

Body of Missing Pregnant Marine Maria Lauterbach Found 
by Ann Turner

A burned human body found in the back yard of Corporal Cesar Armando Lauren is believed to be the remains of missing pregnant Marine Maria Lauterbach. The discovery was made on Friday by local authorities in Onslow County, North Carolina. Lauterbach disappeared from nearby Camp Lejeune base in December. She had accused Lauren of sexually assaulting her before she vanished.

Police now believe Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach was murdered and her body burned in a shallow fire pit in Lauren’s back yard at an undetermined time. Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson said detectives found what "appeared to be burnt human remains" at the site, according to the AP. At this time, authorities are relatively certain the remains found are Lauterbach’s and are no longer searching elsewhere for her body.

Authorities were reportedly tipped off by a note given to them by a woman being identified by the AP as Lauren’s wife. The note, allegedly written by Lauren, states Lauterbach killed herself and that he had nothing to do with her death. In a search of Lauren’s property, police discovered the fire pit and remains…

Investigators and family members believe Lauterbach, originally from Dayton, Ohio, disappeared on December 14th from the Camp Lejeune base where she worked. She was reported officially missing by her mother on December 19th. Police investigators say December 14th was the last day the missing woman’s cell phone was used. The cell phone was discovered at the front gate of Camp Lejeune on December 20th. Lauterbach’s car was found abandoned Monday at a Jacksonville bus station, according to the Jacksonville Daily News.

According to KFoxTV.com, Lauterbach reportedly last spoke to her family on December 15th, when she seems to have purchased a bus ticket to El Paso, TX. Police are not speculating on why Lauterbach may have purchased the ticket or if the ticket might have possibly been purchased by someone else with her bank or credit card.

Lauterbach, a personnel clerk with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group since June, 2006, would have been eight months pregnant this month. Her mother told police she regularly spoke with her every week and became concerned when Lauterbach stopped calling, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. Initially her mother also indicated Lauterbach had witnessed some kind of ‘incident’ at Camp Lejeune and was planning on testifying about it before she vanished.

More recent information revealed Lauterbach had accused Corporal Cesar Armando Lauren of sexually assaulting her, according to the New York Times. A hearing in the case was scheduled for December, to take place shortly after Lauterbach went missing.

Lauren, 21, initially refused to meet with police investigators and has now fled. Police officials believe he is driving a black, four-door pickup truck and may be headed to Nevada. He has not yet been charged with any crime.

It is unknown at this time whether Lauterbach was pregnant with Lauren’s child. Court papers filed in Lauterbach’s sexual assault case said the baby’s birth "might provide evidentiary credence to charges she lodged with military authorities that she was sexually assaulted by a senior military person," according to the News and Observer.

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