A timeline of the search for Maria Lauterbach and Cesar Laurean's trial.
Created by thedailynews on Jul 20, 2010
Last updated: 08/05/10 at 06:38 PM
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Prosecutors confirmed that former Marine Cesar Laurean’s trial will be held in Wayne County.
http://www.jdnews.com/news/class-72157-laurean-bodycopyrag.html
Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, was returned to U.S. soil from Mexico to face murder charges in the death of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach of Vandalia, Ohio.
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/laurean-63684-onslow-county.html
Cesar Laurean, a fugitive Camp Lejeune Marine accused of killing a pregnant colleague, was captured in Mexico by Mexican authorities and the FBI nearly three months to the day after fleeing Onslow County.
http://www.jdnews.com/news/captured-55965-cesar-laurean.html
A special-convened Onslow County grand jury indicts Cesar Laurean in the bludgeoning death of Maria Lauterbach. He is indicted on five counts related to her death including first-degree murder. Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson tells reporters the indictment will speed Laurean’s return to the U.S. if he is arrested in Mexico.
Representing Christina Laurean, the wife of the accused, Jacksonville attorney Chris Welch tells The Daily News that Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown should have had a search warrant when he gave Greta Van Susteren of Fox News a guided tour of 103 Meadow Trail — the home of Christina and Cesar Laurean — where authorities discovered the charred remains of Maria Lauterbach buried in a shallow grave.
A distant cousin of Cpl. Cesar Laurean tells CNN that the fugitive visited him in his store in downtown Guadalajara a few days before.
The FBI begins to circulate Spanish language reward information about Laurean, accused of killing fellow Marine Maria Lauterbach and burying her body in his backyard, throughout Mex-ico.
An online petition is established to gather support to a proposed North Carolina law making the death penalty of an unborn child a separate count of murder when a pregnant woman is killed.
Onslow County District Attorney Dewey Hudson confirms he agreed with the Mexican government to forgo the death penalty for fugitive Cesar Laurean if he is captured there and returned to the United States.
"America’s Most Wanted” features a segment about the disappearance and death of Maria Lauterbach. Never-before-released video is aired of the main suspect in the case, Cesar Laurean, shopping for paint, a wheelbarrow and other materials at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Jacksonville two days after authorities say he killed Lauterbach in his Half Moon community home.
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Department confirms it has what investigators believe to be the murder weapon that killed Maria Lauterbach, and that the “object” will be sent to the SBI lab in Raleigh for testing.
Released court documents say that Christina Laurean, the wife of Cesar Laurean who is charged with Lauterbach’s murder, knew about Lauterbach’s murder, knew about Lauterbach’s death and burial in the Laurean backyard the day before she went to authorities.
Citing sources close to the investigation, The Daily News reports that Lauterbach was killed by a blow to the head with a crowbar.
Federal investigators say for the first time publicly that fugitive Cesar Laurean – wanted in the death of Maria Lauterbach – more than likely reached Mexico by bus.
After earlier denying knowledge of a military protective order issued against Laurean on Lau-terbach’s behalf, Naval Criminal Investigative Services confirms knowing about the order from the onset of the investigation.
Marine Corps officials hold a press conference to explain unfolding events leading up to Lauterbach’s death and the reasons they believed she was voluntarily absent.
The 2004 Dodge Ram belonging to Cesar Laurean – a fugitive charged with the murder of Maria Lauterbach – is discovered at a Morrisville hotel near both Raleigh-Durham airport and an un-manned bus station.
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown appoints Capt. Rick Southerland as the department’s media liason.
After a blitz of media appearances, Brown has an on-air argument with CNN’s Nancy Grace.
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown announces the search for fugitive Cesar Laurean has gone “earthwide.”
In a move District Attorney Dewey Hudson calls “highly unusual,” the state appoints a capital defender for Laurean.
The FBI posts billboards across the country and announces a $25,000 reward for Laurean, wanted in the homicide of Maria Lauterbach.
The FBI issues a warrant for Laurean’s arrest for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Onslow County Sheriff’s detectives continue to question Laurean’s wife, Christina, call her a “cooperating witness.”
U.S. Marshalls report that fugitive Cesar Laurean, wanted in the death of Maria Lauterbach, was spotted at a bus station in Shreveport, La.
Lauterbach’s ATM card, missing since her disappearance Dec. 14, 2007, is found outside a Durham bus station.
An arrest warrant for Laurean on a first-degree murder charge is issued.
Laurean mails letters to his wife from Houston on his way to his native Mexico by bus.
Investigators complete the exhumation of the charred remains of Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child from a shallow grave beneath a fire pit in Cesar Laurean’s backyard.
Local, state and federal investigators discover Lauterbach’s body buried in the Laurean’s back-yard at 103 Meadow Trail.
The wooded area of the Meadow Trail neighborhood is searched for a shallow grave.
Brown shocks the world by opening a noon press conference about Lauterbach with the words, “She is dead and she is buried.”
Naval Criminal Investigative Services deliver Christina Laurean and the notes to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department.
The manhunt for Cesar Laurean begins.
Cesar Laurean flees Onslow County at 4 a.m.
A computer in the Laurean views on online news article about the Maria Lauterbach missing person case.
Marine Sgt. Daniel Durham returns from Twentynine Palms to answer questions about Maria Lauterbach who was staying at his home before vanishing Dec. 14, 2007.
WITN-TV reports search warrant affidavits stating Lauterbach, in her third trimester of preg-nancy when she vanished, had accused a fellow Marine of rape.
Laurean’s lawyers tell him he is facing the death penalty, all according to affidavits released later.
Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean tells his wife Christina that Lauterbach came to their house Dec. 14, 2007, and killed herself and he buried her body.
Laurean cancels his scheduled meeting with Onslow County Sheriff’s detectives.
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown tells the growing crowd of news media he has “mixed feelings” regarding Lauterbach’s fate and makes a televised plea for her to return.
Marine Corps says it first learned about the recovery of Maria Lauterbach’s phone and the Dec. 24, 2007, ATM withdrawal attempt from her account on this day.
Authorities hold first press conference about Maria Lauterbach and reveal her 2006 Hyundai Sonata was found at Jacksonville bus station the prior afternoon. Investigators have a first, brief meeting the Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean about Lauterbach’s missing person status.
A Military Protective Order ordering Laurean to keep a 1,000-foot distance from Lauterbach is reissued.
Authorities hold first press conference about Maria Lauterbach and reveal her 2006 Hyundai Sonata was found at Jacksonville bus station the prior afternoon. Investigators have a first, brief meeting the Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean about Lauterbach’s missing person status.
Authorities find Lauterbach's car in the vicinity of the bus station and Checkers
The Daily News inquires about Maria Lauterbach with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department and Naval Criminal Investigative Services. Lauterbach’s mother, Mary Lauterbach meets with sheriff’s detectives and Marine officials aboard Camp Lejeune.
Maria Lauterbach’s uncle, Pete Steiner, contacts The Daily News with information about his missing niece.
The Marine Corps sends a delayed Unauthorized Leave notification letter about Maria Lauterbach to her family. Her mother, Mary Lauterbach, informs Naval Criminal Investigative Services about the Dec. 20, 2008, recovery of Maria’s cell phone by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Department.
Update Sources