BREAKING NEWS: 3:10pm ET -- Police found Cesar Laurean's truck outside a Morrisville hotel on Airport Blvd. late Tuesday afternoon. Laurean remains missing.
WTVD-11 is providing live video of Cesar Laurean's black Dodge pickup truck. It is sitting behind the Microtel Inn off Airport Blvd. in Morrisville, NC (which is very near the Raleigh/Durham airport).
Police, SBI and FBI are definitely closing in on Laurean. We predict he will be found soon.
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown says he believes that friends of Laurean are assisting him in hiding and providing resources for his use. These folks should reconsider their actions as they can and will likely be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive -- both from federal and military prosecution.
Slain Marine Corporal Maria Lauterbach's military ID card was found at a bus station in Durham, about 150 miles northwest of Jacksonville. Witnesses reported seeing his black four-door pickup truck in the Raleigh and Durham area, Brown said.
More updates to follow...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
BREAKING NEWS: Laurean's Truck Found Outside Raleigh
Murdered Marine: You call this an investigation?
Randi Kaye of Anderson Cooper 360 makes some EXCELLENT points in her blog post from earlier this morning...
Today, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown announced he won't be talking to the media anymore, until Corporal Cesar Laurean is caught. Laurean is the U.S. Marine charged in the brutal murder of fellow Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child. He's been on the run since last Friday. Police believe they recovered Lauterbach's charred remains in a fire pit behind Laurean's home over the weekend along with those of her baby.
Sheriff Brown has been holding press conferences daily and doing one-on-one interviews with local and national media. Now he says it's time to get back to work and we shouldn't expect a word from him until Laurean is behind bars. I've never heard of holding a press conference to 
announce you're NOT going to hold press conferences anymore. But nothing in this case has been business as usual.
The Marines knew Maria Lauterbach had accused Cesar Laurean of rape and didn't give the Sheriff his name until January 7th, TWENTY days after she disappeared.
The Marines knew Laurean was forbidden to go near Lauterbach. A military protective order was issued in June 2007. It had expired in September 2007, but the Marines never even told Sheriff Brown about it. He told me he wasn't aware of it until last weekend when his deputies found the paperwork in Lauterbach's car.
Can you imagine?
Turns out there is no protocol in place for the Marines when it comes to sharing information with civil law enforcement. Read on...
EDITORIAL: It seems to me that the Lauterbach family has grounds for a precedent-setting lawsuit against the Marine Corps. There is ZERO EXCUSE for the military police not sharing information with the sheriff's department once Maria Lauterbach went missing. It is INTOLERABLE that they did NOTHING to assist -- and even thwarted law enforcement efforts -- in the missing persons case.
As for the civilian authorities, Sheriff Brown and his deputies need to charge Christina Laurean as an accessory to murder (minimally) or a co-conspirator (more likely) in the deaths of Lauterbach and her unborn child. I can't fathom how Cesar Laurean's wife could not have known a violent murder took place in their home. Come on! He washed and painted the walls without any previous decision on both their parts. What husband does that?!? [Some records indicate Christina Laurean said she assisted Cesar with painting the walls.]
Also, why would Christina S. Laurean not question a fire pit freshly dug in the backyard; a large fire burned Christmas Eve (odd time for a fire) -- and then another fire (neighbors says Christina called it a "bonfire with friends") Christmas night?!? I may be wrongly accusing her of being involved, but I just don't see how the facts could prove otherwise.
Fourth Day of Manhunt for Rapist/Murderer Laurean
The manhunt for Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, the suspect in Lauterbach's murder, stretches into its fourth day with a $25,000 reward and a national billboard campaign. "He’s probably where he wants to be and can move at a more slower, unattractive pace," Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown told FOX News Tuesday. "So now it’s probably going to be the results of people in the community where he’s at recognizing he’s a stranger, or different, and comparing his photograph to those that he sees on TV and on the billboards."
Over the weekend, authorities recovered the remains of Lauterbach and her unborn child from a fire pit in Laurean's backyard in Jacksonville, N.C. Dr. Charles Garrett, the Onslow County medical examiner, said Lauterbach died from "traumatic head injury due to blunt force trauma."
Lauterbach's ATM card was found at a bus station in Durham, about 150 miles northwest of Jacksonville. Witnesses reported seeing his black four-door pickup truck in the Raleigh and Durham area, Brown said. Other witnesses said they thought they saw him Saturday night at a bus station in Shreveport, La.
The FBI and United States Marshals are involved in the search for Laurean, who is expected to be charged with murder when he is arrested. The first billboards with Laurean's photo went up in Columbus, Ohio, and others are expected in Tampa, Fla., and Las Vegas. "Laurean will be found", Sheriff Brown said later at a press conference.
Read more...
Monday, January 14, 2008
Wanted By the FBI: Cesar Armando Laurean Ramirez
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CESAR ARMANDO LAUREAN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DESCRIPTION
CAUTIONCesar Armando Laurean is wanted for his alleged involvement in the murder of 20-year-old Maria Lauterbach, who was pregnant at the time of her murder. Lauterbach was a United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. She had been missing since December 14, 2007. Charred remains have been recovered in a shallow grave in the backyard of Laurean's Jacksonville, North Carolina, residence. The remains are believed to be those of Lauterbach and her unborn infant. A state arrest warrant was issued on January 12, 2008, in Onslow County, North Carolina, after Laurean was charged with murder. That same day, Laurean was charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution by the United States District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest. REWARD The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of Cesar Armando Laurean. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday, January 13, 2008
Laurean Spotted in Louisiana; Headed Towards Texas
Well, it looks like we were right on target Friday afternoon. Laurean has been seen in Alabama -- headed towards Texas.
The NY Daily News reports: Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, lead suspect in the slaying of a 20-year-old pregnant marine, is on the run in Louisiana, say authorities. 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.
Read more...
Friday, January 11, 2008
Burnt Human Remains Found in Laurean's Backyard
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown just finished a news conference with reporters. He stated that the charred remains of what is believed to be the body of Maria Lauterbach (and her unborn baby) were found in the backyard of Cesar Armando and Christina Smith Laurean.
Sheriff Brown also stated that there are positive luminol results in at least two areas of the Laurean home. IMO, that points to the murder taking place in the house. Apparently, Cesar Laurean burned and buried the bodies of Maria Mauterbach and her baby. By several statements the sheriff made, it can probably also be safely assumed that Lauterbach's body was dismembered. For what other reason would investigators want to comb through the dirt in the "cavity" where the burned remains were located?
One more thing -- police need to press Christina Laurean VERY hard for information. She may be 100% innocent of wrong doing. Then again, she may be part of the murder and subsequent disposal of Lauterbach and child. If Christina is innocent of involvement, she may know more than she is aware of -- like places Cesar may be headed. Where are any friends who may be willing to help him? Where is his family? Does he know anyone who could help him get out of the country? What did he take with him (that he doesn't normally travel with)? What didn't he take that he normally has with him when he travels? There could be a lot of information garnered from police pressing Christina Laurean.
One last thought -- It's pretty safe to say that Christina Laurean gave Sheriff Brown the "tangible evidence" proving Maria is dead. Could she have made a plea bargain deal with law enforcement to give them info in exchange for not being prosecuted? Where is she now? Where is there baby daughter?
Suspicious Cavity Found Behind Laurean's Home
FOXNews.com says, The suspect investigators are pursuing is Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, 21; the "suspicious cavity" was discovered on the property behind his house. "It is believed the house and the contents of that cavity may eliminate the need to look any further for the body of missing Marine Maria F. Lauterbach," said the sheriff's office in a statement. Detectives were combing through Laurean's home Friday night and planned to inspect the contents of the ditch Saturday morning, according to the sheriff.
I found this on a Facebook group supporting Maria Lauterbach:
::: SPECULATION :::
Christina knew about the rape charges, but didn't initially know about the murder. Cesar took off around 4:00am this morning. She woke up or found a note and called the police. She was not at home when Maria was buried, so she didn't know about it. Although Maria was killed more than two weeks ago, she was not buried in the yard until the last 48 hours (at most).
The police never searched a random area around Gum Branch, but solely the backyard of the Laurean home. Christina provided something substantial from Maria's murder.
The reason the cavity is not being opened tonight is that Maria's body is not completely intact. They need light and time to search through the cavity in order to find, photograph and inventory all of the evidence.
::: CLOSING SPECULATION :::
I happen to agree with this guy, by the way. That's almost exactly what I was thinking!
Who Is Cesar Armando Laurean? Where Is He?
The blogosphere is already developing a picture of who Cesar Armando Laurean is. Here is what we have gathered thus far. [This information will be updated as we obtain more data on Corporal Laurean -- in hopes someone will put everything together and offer investigators a substantial lead in the case.]
Name: Cesar Armando Laurean (earlier reported as Lauren or Lauran)
Age: 21
Occupation: Personnel Clerk
Employer: US Marines; Stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC
Address: 103 Meadow Trail, Jacksonville, NC
Physical Appearance: Hispanic male
Height: 5'9"
Weight: ~165 lbs
Previous Address: Clark County, NV
Education: Graduated from Palo Verde High School in Las Vegas, NV in 2004
Marital Status: Unknown; Was married to Christina Sue Smith in 2005 (Marriage license# 2005-00001647)
[Laurean listed himself on MySpace as "Single". However property records in Onslow County show a Cesar and Christina S. Laurean as homeowners -- with a resident near the area where police are searching for Maria Lauterbach's body.]
Children: 1 known - Female - Abrianna Sue; Born 2006
We are still betting that Cpl. Laurean is heading towards El Paso, TX. I doubt he would try to make it to Las Vegas as that would take days and days of driving. My guess is that he either forced Maria Lauterbach to purchase a bus ticket to El Paso or persuaded her to run away with him. Then, either something went wrong or he deliberately killed her. We should know within the next 48-72 hours -- as he will be caught or Lauterbach's body will be found. I am quite confident of that.
Cesar Armando Laurean Sought in Double Murder of Lauterbach and Unborn Child
UPDATED: 3:58pm ETWe have obtained a picture of the 2004 black Dodge Ram quad cab pickup truck Laurean used to flee the Jacksonville area earlier today. The truck is registered in North Carolina with tag number TRR-1522 on the plate.
[We would bet on Laurean heading towards El Paso, TX. State police are likely patrolling I-95 South, and I-20 West in North and South Carolina, looking for Cpl. Laurean. If he follows normal driving, the cops should be able to pick him up somewhere around Birmingham, Alabama. If he sleeps a few hours during the day, my next guess would be Jackson, MS or possibly even Shreveport, LA. Now that he is being hunted, he will likely want to travel at night.]
An ABP was put out for Laurean's arrest as the primary suspect in the Lauterbach case after a local female, who is a former Marine, offered Sheriff Ed Brown "tangible evidence" that Lance Cpl. Lauterbach was dead. Currently, law enforcement officials have not located Lauterbach's body. They are scouring an area off Gum Branch Road and North Bryan Road, in Jacksonville, for a shallow grave.
If you see Cesar Laurean or his truck, you are urged to contact the Onslow County Sheriff's Department at (910) 455-3113 or the NC State Bureau of Investigation.
Maria Lauterbach Dead - Cpl. Cesar Laurean is Prime Suspect
A nine-month pregnant Marine missing for nearly a month is dead, and investigators were seeking another Marine whom she had accused of sexually assaulting her, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said Friday midday.
[To make sure everyone gets the story straight, Lauterbach originally stated that a senior officer has raped her. Later, it was determined that a fellow enlisted Marine was the perpetrator.]
Authorities had not recovered the body of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach, but believe she was buried in a shallow grave off Gum Branch Road (near North Bryan and Meadow Trail in Jacksonville, NC), Sheriff Brown said. Police are also likely checking a nearby creek.
Brown and an NCIS officer both stated that a witness (identified only as a female) came forward early this morning with tangible evidence that led them to believe Lance Cpl. Lauterbach and her unborn child are dead. Law enforcement spokesmen said the mother & child were killed on or shortly after December 20, 2007.
Maria Lauterbach had originally claimed a superior officer sexually assaulted her, and she was worried that the investigation was going nowhere, according to court documents. She vanished last month before she was to testify during an Article 32 proceeding. Brown said the Marine, now identified as Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean had declined to meet with investigators, who no longer knew his
whereabouts. "They don't know where he is," Brown said of the suspect. "He's gone." According to Brown, Cesar Laurean left Jacksonville this morning in a black Dodge pickup truck (NC tag has 1522 in it).
Brown said Lauterbach may have been due to give birth January 8. The police reports, however, said she was due on February 14 and did not show up for a prenatal medical appointment December 28.
Lauterbach's cell phone was found on a roadside near Camp Lejeune on December 20. Her car (a 2006 Hyundai Sonata) was found Monday in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant (near the bus station), Brown said, and apparently had been there since December 15.
The court papers said the anticipated birth of the baby "might provide evidentiary credence to charges she lodged with military authorities that she was sexually assaulted by a military person."
