A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
After nearly three months on the run, Cesar Laurean has been caught by Mexican officials near the city of Tacambaro, Michoacan. Laurean is wanted here in North Carolina in the death of a Marine he worked with, Maria Lauterbach. Previous coverage on ASP: Manhunt for Marine Suspected of Murder and Laurean Dropping Off Radar
Via Fox News:
FBI agents and Mexican authorities arrested Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean around 7 p.m. EDT. He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, whose burned remains were found in January in the backyard of his home near Camp Lejeune.
“You know my name. You know who I am,” Laurean told The Associated Press while being held at the Michoacan state Attorney General’s Office in Morelia, the state capital.
Asked if he wanted to say anything, Laurean simply said, “Proof,” but wouldn’t explain.
Laurean appeared slightly disoriented. Asked what he would do next, he replied: “Do I have a choice? … I don’t know.”
The most interesting part of his capture comes from the fact he doesn’t speak Spanish well. I don’t remember ever hearing him speak it around the offices when we worked together. He was found during a kidnapping investigation and I strongly applaud the Mexican police who ran his information after finding him suspicious.
A new twist has come up in the case. It appears Christina Laurean, the wife of Cesar, was using a family member’s computer to communicate with her husband. The Fox News article makes a good point that speaking with him isn’t a crime, but I strongly suspect she was helping him in other ways as well. I’ve had questions about her involvement since it came out she learned of Lauterbach’s death shortly before Cesar went missing.
Laurean now face extradition back to the States. It will likely be a long and drawn out process, but we are one step closer to learning the truth behind Lauterbach’s death. Please continue to pray for the families of Lauterbach, Laurean, and for the Marines that worked with them.
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CJ
For an “innocent” guy, he sure was rude and jerkish.
Russell.J.Coller.Jr
Well, what is justice in this case of what looks like straight-up double murder? The Mexicans do not extradite people who face the possibility of a death sentence, so North Carolina took it off the table. A strange system we have that this young man gets 3 hots & a cot for a while.
Perhaps in the future, Congress could allow jurisdiction for the DOD when an active duty Marine or other DOD person is murdered. The perp would face a harder fate in Leavenworth at hard labor or Fed Super-max instead of regular Barney Fife accomodations in the South.
Too bad this one slipped through boot-camp, there must have been SOME red flags.
Miss Ladybug
Russell~
If they Marine Corp so decided, they could have taken over jurisdiction, since it did involve two Marines. However, since it crime appears to have taken place not on the base, but in the surrounding civilian jurisdiction, the local cops could handle it. And, the Marines would have faced the same problem: in order to get someone back from Mexico, the death penalty cannot be on the table. If the Marines so decide, there could be additional charges of which we are unaware. Going AWOL might be an option, I suppose… Remember, NC doesn’t have a law on the books to charge him with a second murder for the unborn child. However, federal law does. Makes this a complicated case, overall, in trying to ensure he pays for the things he did. And, now that it appears his wife may have been aiding and abetting, even if she was completely uninvolved in the murder, best to keep the case in the civilian courts for the murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, I think.
Cherilynn
could “we” promise to not prosecute for murder then change “our” minds once he is back in US custody?
it’s not like Mexico has ever lied to the US…
SSgtJ
I just hope the truth finally gets told. Like CJ said, this guy sure looks guilty. Marcus, thanks for keeping us up to date on this. We are still praying for the families and friends.