Maria Lauterbach

Lance Corporal Maria Frances Lauterbach (1987 – 11 January 2008) of Dayton, Ohio was a United States Marine who went missing on 14 December 2007 from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. At the time of her disappearance, Lauterbach was eight months pregnant. Lauterbach was preparing to testify that that she was raped by an officer. Her mother told police that she "claimed she had been raped by a senior officer at her command, and that the investigation had gone sour." According to an Associated Press report, her stepmother told police, "that her stepdaughter was bipolar and had a history of compulsive lying." Her mother, Mary Lauterbach, reported her missing on 19 December. Her cell phone was found on 20 December near the main gate at Camp Lejeune. There was a "suspicious activity" on her bank accounts on 24 December 2007.

Death
During a press conference on January 11, 2008, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown has reported the death of Lauterbach. Investigators are currently searching for her body in a residential wooded area in Onslow County. Brown stated that authorities "had gotten physical evidence of the woman's death that also linked Lauren to the death".

The prime suspect in the case is Cpl. Cesar Armando Lauren, the man whom she accused of sexually assaulting her. He is not in custody and a search is on for him as well.

Her unborn child may have died as well. She was planning to give the child up for adoption after giving birth.

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