Most Wanted Fugitive Laurean Extradited

Laurean will be extradited back to Onslow County to face murder charges.

April 17, 2009

ONSLOW COUNTY NC NEWS -- Fugitive U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean is scheduled to be extradited from Mexico to the United States on April 17, 2009.

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Owen Harris, of FBI Charlotte said:

"Now that Cesar Laurean is coming back to the US, Onslow County can move forward with prosecution. He can no longer avoid answering the charges against him. I want to thank everyone who dedicated their time and energy to helping resolve this investigation."

The U.S. Marine Corps Corporal, Laurean is a suspect in the ongoing investigation into the murder of 20-year-old Maria F. Lauterbach, who was seven months pregnant at the time of her murder. Ms. Lauterbach was also a U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Lauterbach had accused Laurean of sexually assaulting her. Filed court papers in Lauterbach's sexual assault case, state 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." On December 20, 2007, Lauterbach's car was found abandoned at the Jacksonville bus station.

On Friday, January 12, 2008, the burned human remains of Ms. Lauterbach and her unborn infant was discovered in a shallow grave in the backyard of Laurean's Jacksonville, North Carolina, residence.

After a local arrest warrant was filed in Onslow County, North Carolina, charging Laurean with murder, the federal arrest warrant was issued in the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington, North Carolina, on January 12, 2008. Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Nathan T. Gray, of the Charlotte Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said, "The murder of this young Marine is a tragedy and the FBI will work with our law enforcement partners in North Carolina to locate and arrest Laurean. We will utilize the worldwide capabilities of the FBI to assist in this investigation."

On April 11, 2008, former FBI SAC of Charlotte, Nathan Gray closed the worldwide most wanted fugitive manhunt saying, "The FBI and its law enforcement partners brought to bear all of our domestic and international resources to find a man wanted for murder. Laurean's swift arrest in Mexico was due to the diligence and dedication of the Mexican government and our law enforcement partners. I want to express my gratitude and thank them for their assistance. 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."

Additionally, upon his return to Onslow County, North Carolina, Laureanwill face murder charges.

Finally, the following law enforcement agencies and the Mexican government all worked together to locate, arrest, and extradite Laurean: the FBI, Onslow County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and Interpol.