Onslow County's Grand Jury Investigation And Decision

Snipped from SS's link directly above:

"Hudson said the grand jury also charged Laurean with robbery with a dangerous weapon and a charge involving an unauthorized financial transaction involving card theft. The indictment states Laurean forced Lauterbach to remove money from her bank account Dec. 14, the same day authorities believe he killed her."


So that is the first day. Robbery with a dangerous weapon. The money was obtained.

Then, regarding the 12/24 attempt (so, NOT successful):

"Laurean is also accused of trying to use Lauterbach's ATM card on Christmas Eve, and was charged with attempted card fraud and obtaining property by false pretenses."


Why wasn't the 12/24 attempt successful? He didn't have her ATM password? But he thought he did or was trying? Just thinking outloud.

Well, this is frustrating.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2347267/

From the link:

"An autopsy determined that Lauterbach died of blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators said they believe they have recovered the weapon used in the slaying, but they haven't disclosed what it is.

The indictments allege that Laurean used a blunt object to steal money and an ATM card from Lauterbach."



Note, that could even be after she drove to his house, at the scene of the murder? A few people have been speculating that CL was standing next to her or near her at the ATM machine. Maybe not? (Because if that were the case, there might have been kidnapping charges, if he were coercing her to/from a car, etc. against her will.)

Next:

"Authorities last week released a photo taken at an ATM in Jacksonville on Christmas Eve – about 10 days after Lauterbach was killed – that shows a man they believe to be Laurean using Lauterbach's card to withdraw money."

To me, that contradicts the article in the post above, which made it sound like he attempted on 12/24, but was unsuccessful. Or, at best, it's vague and doesn't state whether he was successful in obtaining her $ on the 24th. From what we've read before, supposedly he did, correct?

Grrrr.

What do y'all think?

ETA: I think I'm just going to wait to read the official documents! I'm getting so frustrated with the contradictory media articles.

Yes, he did obtain money ($500.00) from the card on the 24th according to indictment.

SeriouslySearching said:

Yes, he did obtain money ($500.00) from the card on the 24th according to indictment.

Click to expand...

Okay, thank you. I thought we've been reading that he had.
Then I wonder what the attempted charge is from? He went to a second ATM on the same day, maybe, and couldn't withdraw any funds because her card was maxed out for daily withdrawls?

The indictment is listed under Case Documents Thread:

http://www.jdnews.com/attachments/1201197667-luaureanindictments.pdf

SeriouslySearching said:

The indictment is listed under Case Documents Thread:

http://www.jdnews.com/attachments/1201197667-luaureanindictments.pdf

Click to expand...

Thanks for finding that. I've been looking since yesterday! It says Maria was present when the money and card were taken. To me that doesn't mean he was actually at the ATM when the withdraway was made.

From the AMW site, CL is wanted on the below charges. Are the car theft and car fraud typos? Because I don't see anything in the indictment referring to Maria's car.

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=52333
Wanted for:
Information valid as of last update.

First-Degree Murder, Jacksonville, NC; Dec 2007
Robbery With A Dangerous Weapon ; Dec 2007
First-Degree Car Theft ; Dec 14, 2007
Fraud ; Dec 2007
Attempted Car Fraud ; Dec 2007

SuziQ said:

Thanks for finding that. I've been looking since yesterday! It says Maria was present when the money and card were taken. To me that doesn't mean he was actually at the ATM when the withdraway was made.
From the AMW site, CL is wanted on the below charges. Are the car theft and car fraud typos? Because I don't see anything in the indictment referring to Maria's car.

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=52333
Wanted for:
Information valid as of last update.

First-Degree Murder, Jacksonville, NC; Dec 2007
Robbery With A Dangerous Weapon ; Dec 2007
First-Degree Car Theft ; Dec 14, 2007
Fraud ; Dec 2007
Attempted Car Fraud ; Dec 2007

Click to expand...

I'm thinking along the same lines as to what you wrote (bolded part).

Car issue? Weird. It's gotta be a typo, don't you think? But it's twice. (Then again, I don't know what attempted car fraud is, LOL)

It was stated in the presser as "Financial CARD Fraud" I believe that AMW is incorrect.

Here is where it was listed:

SeriouslySearching said:

Jacksonville — An Onslow County grand jury on Thursday indicted a Camp Lejeune Marine on five charges in the slaying of a pregnant comrade.

District Attorney Dewey Hudson announced at a news conference the return of indictments against Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean for first-degree murder, financial card theft, attempted financial card fraud, fraud and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2347267/

Click to expand...

Laurean's wife's attorney says sheriff needed warrant




BY LINDELL KAY
January 25, 2008 - 10:51AM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown did not have permission to conduct a tour of Cesar Laurean’s property with the host of a national TV news show, according to Christina Laurean’s attorney.

Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean was indicted Thursday on first-degree murder charges in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. Lauterbach was pregnant, had accused Laurean of rape and had said at one time that Laurean was the father of her unborn child. She disappeared Dec. 14; investigators say she was killed that day.

Lauterbach’s charred and buried remains were found in the back yard of 103 Meadow Trail, the Laureans’ home.

Brown conducted a videotaped walk through Monday of the Laureans’ home in the Half Moon community with Greta Van Susteren for a segment that aired Monday night on the Fox News show “On the Record.” The show was viewed by an estimated 2 million people.

Yellow tape posted to designate a crime scene and protect the integrity of any evidence was removed Jan. 15.

The Daily News requested a similar tour of the crime scene with investigators that was deferred Tuesday by the Sheriff’s Department. When approached again Thursday by The Daily News for a tour, representatives with the Sheriff’s Department said they had been contacted by Christina Laurean’s attorney and asked not to go onto the Laurean property again without consent or a search warrant.

Jacksonville attorney Christopher Welch, who represents Christina Laurean, said he did not want to talk about particulars, but he did not think the Sheriff’s Department belonged on the Laureans’ property without a search warrant.

Christina Laurean’s attorney told the Sheriff’s Department that any consent given by Christina Laurean to search the property around the time Lauterbach’s body was found had lapsed, and authorities would need a search warrant to enter the property again, said Capt. Rick Sutherland.

During the tour with Van Susteren, Brown discovered a tennis shoe near the back door of the garage where investigators say Lauterbach was killed. He noticed a stain on the sole of the shoe that may have been blood and notified his investigators, who subsequently obtained a search warrant and picked up the shoe.

The shoe will be sent to the State Bureau of Investigation crime lab in Raleigh for testing, Brown said Thursday.

The shoe appears to be a match for a shoe shown in a picture of the garage that was taken when investigators first arrived on the scene Jan. 11.

Christina Laurean knew that Lauterbach was dead and that her husband had buried the body at least a day before she went to authorities on Jan. 11, according to an affidavit attached to a search warrant.

Investigators released photographs Monday that they say show an attempt by Cesar Laurean to cover up blood stains in the garage with brown paint. Surveillance footage shows Cesar Laurean buying paint and other supplies Dec. 16 — two days after they say Lauterbach was killed.

Neighbors have told The Daily News that Christina Laurean helped paint the living room of the house in late December and told them the couple planned to paint the garage next.

Authorities continue to call Christina Laurean a cooperating witness.

Contact police reporter Lindell Kay at lkay@freedomenc.com or 910-554-8534.



http://www.jdnews.com/news/laurean_54622___article.html/christina_lauterbach.html

DEPUTYDAWG said:

Well, this is frustrating.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2347267/

From the link:

"An autopsy determined that Lauterbach died of blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators said they believe they have recovered the weapon used in the slaying, but they haven't disclosed what it is.

The indictments allege that Laurean used a blunt object to steal money and an ATM card from Lauterbach."



Note, that could even be after she drove to his house, at the scene of the murder? A few people have been speculating that CL was standing next to her or near her at the ATM machine. Maybe not? (Because if that were the case, there might have been kidnapping charges, if he were coercing her to/from a car, etc. against her will.)

Next:

"Authorities last week released a photo taken at an ATM in Jacksonville on Christmas Eve – about 10 days after Lauterbach was killed – that shows a man they believe to be Laurean using Lauterbach's card to withdraw money."

To me, that contradicts the article in the post above, which made it sound like he attempted on 12/24, but was unsuccessful. Or, at best, it's vague and doesn't state whether he was successful in obtaining her $ on the 24th. From what we've read before, supposedly he did, correct?

Grrrr.

What do y'all think?

ETA: I think I'm just going to wait to read the official documents! I'm getting so frustrated with the contradictory media articles.

Click to expand...

It's nice to see one news agency correcting their misinformation!

SuziQ and I had caught onto this thought about the ATM and robbery, that it didn't necessarily mean that it happened with him coercing her at the ATM machine. Upon further clarification, it appears it's because he stole the money from her later (this new article claims he stole it off of her dead body.)

http://www.jdnews.com/news/lauterbach_54650___article.html/funeral_detail.html

Cesar Laurean did not force the woman he is accused of killing to remove money from her account Dec. 14, as far as investigators know, authorities said Friday.

Several news media outlets including The Daily News incorrectly interpreted Laurean’s Thursday indictment on a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon.


Lauterbach did remove money from her account on Dec. 14 the day authorites say she died.

That money has not been recovered, and investigators believe Laurean robbed her dead body of the cash. That is where the robbery with a dangerous weapon charge and subsequent indictment stems from, authorities said


There's also more information about his attempt to use her card on December 24th. Again, it sounds like it may have been unsuccessful.

....if one can believe THIS article....

Here's some of the article in the link above, regarding the 12/24 transaction:

Laurean was also indicted for attempted misdemeanor financial transaction card fraud. Investigators said Laurean held onto Lauterbach’s bank card and tried to use it 10 days after she had been killed.

He tried to use her card to remove $500 Christmas Eve. This was the “suspicious activity on her bank account” originally reported by The Daily News on Jan. 10. “We believe Laurean attempted but was unsuccessful in removing $500 from Lauterbach’s account on Dec. 24,” said Capt. Rick Sutherland of the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department.

Sutherland would not com-ment on whether Laurean could not remove cash from the account because there were no funds available or because Laurean did not know Lauterbach’s personal identification number.

The indictment states, “(Lau-rean) committed this act by means of an assault consisting of having in defendant’s possession and threatening the use of a dan-gerous weapon, a blunt force ob-ject and implement used to kill Maria Frances Lauterbach.”The blunt-force object used to kill Lauterbach was a crowbar, according to sources close to the investigation. The Sheriff’s Department said an “item” believed to be the murder weapon was turned into detectives by a witness who did not know the significance of it until learn-ing from the news media that Laurean was wanted for killing Lauterbach