Breaking: Fugitive Marine Captured In Mexico
Cesar Laurean was indicted for the murder of Marine LCpl Maria Lauterbach and had been on the run.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The FBI says it has taken a North Carolina-based Marine wanted in the brutal murder of a pregnant colleague into custody.
The FBI office in Charlotte said Thursday night that special agents and Mexican authorities have arrested Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, who is charged with murder in the slaying of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach.
The FBI said Laurean is still in Mexico and is awaiting extradition back to the U.S.
“The FBI and its law enforcement partners brought to bear all of our domestic and international resources to find a man wanted for murder,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Nathan Gray. “Laureans swift arrest in Mexico was due to the diligence and dedication of the Mexican government and our law enforcement partners.”
“This was truly an international effort, and we will do all we can to ensure Laurean is brought back to Onslow County as quickly as possible to answer the charges against him.”
The Onslow County Sheriffs Office filed charges against Laurean for the murder of Lauterbach, and a state arrest warrant was issued on January 12, 2008.
That same day, Laurean was charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution in the Eastern District of North Carolina, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest.
Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson immediately cautioned Thursday night that “it could be a year or two” for authorities to bring Laurean back to North Carolina if he decides to fight the extradition process.
“The extradition process is one where you have a right to appeal,” Hudson told The Associated Press. “I have no idea whether he would waive extradition.”
The Marines first began searching for Lauterbach on Dec. 17, after Lauterbach failed to show up for work. Local authorities took up the case Dec. 19, after her mother reported her missing. Three weeks later, officials found Lauterbach’s burned remains in a fire pit in Laurean’s back yard.
Lauterbach had earlier accused Laurean of rape. Laurean left a note for his wife, Christina, that said Lauterbach slit her own throat with a knife, and he then buried her in the woods near their home.
An autopsy found that Lauterbach died of blunt force trauma to the head.
A new conference on the arrest is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday.
(Fox)
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God …
What makes people do senseless, evil stuff like this to other people?
This just sucks, from beginning to end … for ALL involved …
April 10th, 2008 at 6:25 pmYeah this is a completely awful story. this Marine will be getting the death penalty if/when convicted.
no winners in this one folks.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:26 pmHe should be transported back from mexico in a black sack.
.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:35 pmsome mistakes or actions are unforgivable
April 10th, 2008 at 6:43 pmI wonder about that.
Mexico said they wouldn’t allow extradition if Laurean faced the death penalty at home.
I muted the TV, so have they said anything regarding the d.p.?
April 10th, 2008 at 6:48 pmInocent untill proven gilty! The American way!!
April 10th, 2008 at 6:50 pmDrill
Im not sure if they have said anything about the death penalty or not. Im just assuming that they will be going for it. You kill a pregnant marine, you’re gonna get yours.
but something tells me that we will get him back one way or another. Justice will be served for this one.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:52 pmOh, yeah, he’ll get his. Just send him to the brig, but don’t segregate him. Marines take care of our own, and we don’t take that kind of behaviour well, brig rats or no. I don’t think he’d make it long…
For what he did, he certainly deserves to die
April 10th, 2008 at 7:33 pmI hope he rots in hell
April 11th, 2008 at 2:08 amMexico will not extradite if the DA pushes for death.
He will get away with murder and die in jail.
April 11th, 2008 at 3:51 amHow can he be living in the fields and communicating with his wife by email? This guy is a lying sack of crap. I still believe his wife knows more than she said. And she should face charges for knowing all along where exactly he is and not informing the police. I think she helped murder that girl and her baby.
April 11th, 2008 at 5:23 amFINALLY! they caught the creep! now get him back to face charges. i think his wife should be charged toooo. she knows more and was more involved before he ever ran. now, they find she communicated with him all along by email (while he’s running in the fields and sleeping under trees, which tree was the computer under??). they are both a mess and a girl and her baby are DEAD. i said before, maria was lying? she was lying in her grave along with her baby. rest in peace, maria.
April 11th, 2008 at 6:52 amI’m with Militant Bibliophile there. I think, if convicted, they should simply hand him over to marines who honor the code - including those who believe in honorable stake burnings.
I’ll bet those guys are infinitely better at dreaming up appropriate punishment than our judicial systems.
April 11th, 2008 at 6:56 am