DA: Laurean trial moved to Wayne County
Prosecutors confirmed Monday that former Marine Cesar Laureans trial will be held in Wayne County.
Laurean, a former Marine, is accused of killing pregnant colleague Maria Lauterbach in December 2007 and burying her body in his Onslow County backyard. The case drew national and local media attention in early 2008. Laureans attorney, Jacksonville lawyer Dick McNeil requested late last year that the trials venue be changed due to the amount of pretrial publicity.
District Attorney Dewey Hudson admitted Monday that Laureans story had probably been heard by most people in Wayne County, but they had not been inundated with news coverage.
It would be hard to find a potential juror who has not heard about it, he said. But we need to find a jury that will not have its mind made up as soon as it is seated.
Hudson said jury selection in Onslow County would take too long.
Im not saying Onslow County jurors are incapable of being impartial, but once you hear something you cant unhear it, he said.
For those reasons, the state did not argue against McNeils motion to change venues.
N.C. Superior Court Judge Charles Henry signed the order Monday officially moving Laureans June 28 murder trial.
Hudson acknowledged some logistical problems a place to meet with witnesses and telephone and computer access the venue change will present his office, but said he had received assurances from the Wayne County D.A.s Office that his staff would be accommodated during the possibly month-long trial.
Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said he has spoken to Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders to discussed court security and the housing of Laurean during the trial.
McNeil, who was scheduled to begin an unrelated murder trial this week in Wayne County, injured his knee at his hotel Monday morning. That case the first-degree murder trial of William Earl Bandy Jr. who is accused of shooting Frederick Anthony Coleman in March 2006 was postponed.
McNeil said that although Wayne County was not one of his first choices, it is a suitable because he had sought a venue within a military community. Wayne County is home to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Hudson said he liked Wayne County because television news coverage for that area comes from Raleigh and not the same stations that cover Onslow County. Less than two hours after Hudson made his announcement at a 2 p.m. press conference in Onslow County, Raleighs WRAL-TV carried the story about the venue change on its Web site.
Hudson said regardless of the venue, Laurean will receive a fair trial.
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