Jan 9, 2008 2:45 pm US/Central
Pregnant Marine Missing, Was Set To Testify
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) ―
A 20-year-old pregnant Marine who was expected to testify about
something she witnessed on base has been missing since mid-December,
authorities said.
The Marine Corps said Wednesday it is cooperating fully with the
Onslow County Sheriff's Office in the disappearance of Lance Corporal
Maria Lauterbach, who is about eight months pregnant.
The sheriff's office has said Lauterbach's mother reported that her daughter was supposed to testify about an on-base incident.
"There are several findings and pieces of evidence that have been
discovered that cause law enforcement to be concerned with the
circumstances surrounding Maria's disappearance," the sheriff's
department said in a statement.
Sheriff's investigators did not return calls seeking additional
comment Wednesday, and it was not clear what Lauterbach was expected to
say in testimony.
The State Bureau of Investigation also is working on the case.
Marine Corps and U.S. Navy investigators are cooperating with the
investigation, said First Lt. Richard Ulsh, a public affairs officer
with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
Authorities say Lauterbach, originally from Dayton, Ohio, was
reported missing Dec. 19 by her mother, who last spoke with her
daughter on Dec. 13. Her cell phone was found Dec. 20 near the main
gate at Camp Lejeune.
Lauterbach is assigned to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group of the II
Marine Expeditionary Force. Camp Lejeune officials said she joined the
Marine Corps in June 2006 and was trained as a personnel clerk.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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