photo courtesy of WITN 7 NewsTheblackurbantimes
Cesar Laurean, the former Marine accused of murdering a fellow Marine last year and burying her in his back yard is set to stand trial on June 28, 2010. Where the trial will be held is a mystery for now. Laurean's attorney, Dick McNeil was successful in securing a change of venue, but has yet to name the city.
Laurean appeared before N.C. Superior Court Judge Charles Henry who gave both sides until Dec. 18 to file for potential trial locations.
District Attorney Dewey Hudson would not speak with the media about where he wanted to the case moved to, but McNeil said he would like to see the trial moved to New Bern. He said Hudson wanted the trial to be held in Clinton or Wilmington.
Cesar Laurean was a Corporal in the Marine Corps and is accused of killing Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach who was seven months pregnant when she died. Her charred body was found in the back yard of the home Laurean shared with his wife, Cristina and their child in the Half Moon section of Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach AP/File photo
Reports stated that Laurean and Lauterbach were engaged in a brief adulterous affair and that Lauterbach told Naval investigators that Laurean had raped her in 2007. Investigators never corroborated her allegations of rape. Lauterbach claimed that the child she was carrying was Laurean's, but later recanted that statement and DNA tests agreed.
In a report completed by the Department of Defense Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, DNA analysts concluded that Laurean was not the father of Lance Cpl. Lauterbach's unborn child.
"Based upon the DNA results, Cesar A. Laurean can be excluded as being the father of Baby Lauterbach at eleven of the fifteen STR loci tested," the report read. " The tests were conducted using bone samples from Lauterbach's autopsy and samples taken from Laurean after he was extradited back to the United States.
Laurean fled to Mexico just hours before Lauterbach's body was found in his backyard. He was later apprehended in the small Mexican village of Tacambaro. Laurean, who was born in Mexico was raised in Nevada. There has been no comment from Laurean's family or his wife.
Laurean, who has since been discharged from the Marine Corps under "other than honorable" conditions, remains in the Onslow County jail.
Cast your vote on the change of venue move here
Read more news on the Cesar Laurean case HERE
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