Marine reported no threat

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. —  A 20-year-old pregnant Marine who disappeared in December told victims’ advocates at Camp Lejeune that she didn’t feel threatened in the presence of the colleague she accused of raping her, who is now wanted in her death, Marine Corps officials said Tuesday.

Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean never violated the military protective order directing him to stay away from Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, he continued to report for work on time in the weeks after her disappearance, and he denied having any kind of sexual contact with her, said Col. Gary Sokoloski, the judge advocate general officer for the II Marine Expeditionary Force.

“At no time did she indicate that she was threatened by Cpl. Laurean,” Sokoloski said. “When she was asked if she felt threatened by Cpl. Laurean, she said she did not feel threatened.”

Authorities confirmed Tuesday that remains found Friday in a fire pit in Laurean’s backyard were those of Lauterbach and her child.

Dr. Charles Garrett, the Onslow County medical examiner, said Lauterbach, who was eight months pregnant when she vanished, died of “traumatic head injury due to blunt-force trauma.”

Authorities are still unsure whether Lauterbach gave birth before her death, said county prosecutor Dewey Hudson. They also do not know the identity of the father.

Marine officials said Tuesday that Lauterbach met with prosecutors in November and said she no longer believed Laurean was the father.

A pregnancy test performed in May, when she alleged that Laurean had raped her in March and April, was negative. A test done in June was positive, and doctors estimated the date of conception was May 14.

Naval investigators concluded the sexual encounter in March was not criminal, said Paul Ciccarelli, an agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The pair had a second sexual encounter about two weeks later that didn’t include any threats, force, violence or coercion, Ciccarelli said.

“She asked him to stop, and he did stop,” Ciccarelli said, saying that was the account Lauterbach gave to officials.

He said that she still considered both to be incidents of rape, and that Lauterbach’s regimental commander treated her allegations seriously. Her commander was intent on taking the case to an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a grand jury proceeding.

Authorities believe Laurean fled Jacksonville early Friday after leaving a note in which he admitted burying Lauterbach’s body.

They think he is now in hiding and no longer needs to travel quickly or far to avoid capture, they said.

“We think we have a handle on all his contacts, but there could be someone else out there helping,” said Onslow County Sheriff’s Capt. Rick Sutherland.