Missing 8 mth pregnant Marine Maria Frances Lauterbach- NC #7

[SuziQ]

I was looking for tonights' NG transcript, it's not up yet. I decided to read back on some old ones. Things are interesting in hindsight. I do not think Maria was planning on going anywhere with anyone. Especially with people she feared. Her mother had been planning a visit. I wonder what time Durham came home and what happened in between 2:30 and that time? IMO, Maria was abducted.

Snipped from the below linked transcript dated 1-9-08
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0801/09/ng.01.html

She did, however, tell me that the last time she spoke with her daughter was around 2:30 on December 14. And she said her daughter was in a good mood. She was very excited about her mother coming to visit. She was going down to visit the next weekend, and she said her daughter talked to her about what clothes to bring, where they were going to eat. And she also told me that that same day, her daughter e-mailed her father, saying she was very excited for her mother to come down.

And then when she got home that night, she had a phone call from Maria`s housemate, who said she felt something was wrong and she thought Maria was gone. At that point, she began filing a missing persons report.

 

[ThoughtFox]

I doubt he wanted to run away with Maria. I think he wanted her out of the equation. The last thing a 21 year old Marine wants to worry about is child support for TWO children.

One for Maria's baby -- and for his current daughter -- It's highly probably his current wife would have divorced him.

These cases a lot of times come down to a support issue.

That sounds very calculated, but why would he kill her in his house? He had to know that wouldn't work out, unless he is mentally ill.

I understand the whole idea that he wanted the baby out of the way. However, he had months to do that, so why wait till she's 8 months pregnant? Also, why rape another woman in the first place if he didn't want anymore kids - he just sounds incredibly stupid or incredibly confused.

 

[ThoughtFox]

I still find it funny that he was described as a "MacGyver" type tonight. Would MacGyver have buried a dead body in his backyard?

Yeah . . this guy is brilliant.

Exactly - here is that article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/16/marine.friend/

 

[ipswitch]

Again, just an aside...

My best friend killed herself 10 years ago by slitting her throat.

There was a lot of blood because she hit the carotid artery. Still, on reading about the blood evidence at Cpl 's house, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the ME was right about BFT.

 

[philamena]

And who would stand there and watch them?

Of course she didn't commit suicide - omg.
SNIP

This is a guy who wouldn't leave her alone, and we've seen that type before - remember Scott Peterson and Amber Frey?

Oh yes, definitely. I agree.

 

[SuziQ]

That sounds very calculated, but why would he kill her in his house? He had to know that wouldn't work out, unless he is mentally ill.

I understand the whole idea that he wanted the baby out of the way. However, he had months to do that, so why wait till she's 8 months pregnant? Also, why rape another woman in the first place if he didn't want anymore kids - he just sounds incredibly stupid or incredibly confused.

Two weeks before Maria went missing the investigators ordered a DNA test to be done for paternity. I'm sure that was a death sentence for Maria and her son.

 

[nnglas]

I am not sure if the bus station has cameras or not. I will say that depending on when that bus to El paso was supposed to leave, for instance they have buses that leave late at night, and pick up like one or two passengers. If it were late at night and she got there early enough to make sure she was on time, the way the bus station is situated, you could knock someone in the head and drive off with them. The bus station is very desolate, in a corner, not good lighting, and at night very easy to miss. Honestly when I first heard the story I didnt know the bus station was still open, they also have a bus station on the marine base.

I don't buy the bus ticket story. It makes no sense to me. I also don't think she would have been running away with someone she was frightened of. I mean it would seem that she moved off the base to get away from him and the situation with the harassment.

However, I don't know what to make of the note left for the roomate. I don't think C or CL would have planted a note in Durham's house. It just seems to clandestine(is that the right word?).

So the only thing I can make of the note is either A) Maria actually wrote it, or B) The roomate is somehow involved. Before I get blasted here, let me just point out what is bothering me and Durham and the military.

He reportedly knew or talked to Maria about the phone call with the mother. He said in earlier reports that he knew that the phone call upset her. Which means he talked to Maria about the call. But didn't she go missing the same day? Which would mean he found the note the same day he talked to her about the phone call and she didn't mention leaving.

Ok he text message or contacted her family after he found the note and he also found some of her things missing. I would assume she was going home, if it bothered him so much seems odd he would contact family first instead of authorities. And why did it bother him so much? According to published reports the letter said she was leaving. So why any alarm at that time? He found the note on the 14th according to the timeline, but he didn't take it to the command until the 17th. Also the timeline the military put out says that after he took the note to the command on the 17th they went to see if she was at the house. Why? That doesn't make any sense. One would think that Durham slept at his house all weekend and hadn't seen Maria. I assume he turned the note in when he went to work on the 17th, he would have just left home, Maria left a note saying she was leaving, what did they go looking for? They all thought that she was UA, what were they going to the house for?

Another problem I have is that Durham went to authorities and told him that since he was leaving for training the house would not be easily accessable so the military went and packed up all her belongings. Why would the house not be accessible? Remember Maria did not leave a key. And since when does the USMC pack up peoples belongings and store it for them?

And the last thing is that LE thought that Durham had significant evidence about the investigation. It would seem that they thought he was helping her get away. They had the military bring him back for questioning and they said that they found information on his computer that he needed to answer questions about, also what happened with the wire transfers? Durham was supposed to a key witness, so much so that they sent for him, but before they really got to get in it Christina brought LE the note from . I have always wondered what was it that lit a fire under to leave when he did, and that directly coincides with when Durham was set to be questioned. I find that very odd.

Sorry for the long post. Anybody got any thoughts or corrections?

 

[SuziQ]

What got LE interested in Western Union? There are tons of ways to send money.

More snipped from a 1-10-08 NG transcript:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0801/10/ng.01.html

GRACE: The police affidavit also states that they`re seeking more information from Western Union about transferring money to her from December 10th to January the 8th. Police say money was with drawn from her bank account on December the 14th. That`s the same day that her stepmother last had a conversation with Lance Corporal Lauterbach.

 

[Seven]

That is very interesting and now it really does make sense. I think that's the reason too that the USMC wouldn't pursue him into Mexico as an AWOL soldier, a suggestion that was made by a caller to Nancy's show last night. The murder charge carries a lot more weight than his desertion.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the reason Posse Comitatus does not apply to the Coast Guard is that it pertains to law enforcement against U.S. citizens within the United States.


Seven

 

[SuziQ]

nnglas, That bus station sounds like our bus station. And I think it's out of an old 7-11 building.

The note does sound outlandish. But then you read the latest about the arrest of Dennis Potts and he went as far as submitting his friends DNA for paternity testing on the baby he strangled. To me the staging seems to be from the get go, to make everyone believe that Maria left on her own. It was all a preplanned, cold and calculated plan to get rid of a problem.

 

[Seven]

I think it's pretty much impossible to beat yourself to death.....he said she came over and cut her own throat - not that she came over and beat her own skull till she died. Ooops....

BIG OOOOOOPS !!!

(Oh what a tangled web we weave when <we try to> deceive.)

 

[nnglas]

nnglas, That bus station sounds like our bus station. And I think it's out of an old 7-11 building.

The note does sound outlandish. But then you read the latest about the arrest of Dennis Potts and he went as far as submitting his friends DNA for paternity testing on the baby he strangled. To me the staging seems to be from the get go, to make everyone believe that Maria left on her own. It was all a preplanned, cold and calculated plan to get rid of a problem.

I agree that everything does seem preplanned and calculated, however, by who and how many?

The fact that supposedly killed this girl on or about 12/15/07 and spent Christmas and New Years at home, and went to work everyday without a problem thinking that he had gotten away with murder. LE thought that she was alive somewhere, what with the note, bus ticket, and ATM withdrawl. Why then send your wife to authorities with a note telling them that "no she didn't run away, she is buried right in my backyard." Why they thought she was voluntarily missing. What happened that put on the run? I don't know why but I feel like that is one of the big missing pieces. The only thing significant that happened is that Durham was back the same night for questioning.

Were Durham and friends? It would stand to reason that they all knew each other or worked to together. Was worried about what Durham would say? Was he worried that Durham would crack under pressure?

Something is not right.

 

[STEADFAST]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the reason Posse Comitatus does not apply to the Coast Guard is that it pertains to law enforcement against U.S. citizens within the United States.
Seven

It doesn't apply to the Coast Guard because they are not part of the Department of Defense. They are under the Department of Homeland Security now, but under the Department of Transportation before 911. Our Navy ships can't send Naval personnel to board drug ships and arrest drug runners of any nationality on the high seas; the Coast Guard has to ride along and do that, because the drug laws they're enforcing are United States laws. Military police can only enforce the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The Posse Comitatus Act makes it a crime to use the Army or Air Force as a domestic police force in most circumstances. . .

. . . judges have drawn distinctions between direct and active participation in traditional civilian law enforcement, like making arrests or conducting searches, and more passive assistance, like providing equipment, training and advice. Only the former is forbidden.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E6D61F39F932A15754C0A9649C8B63

 

[harleysnana]

What if Lauren had maybe created a stNory that he wanted to run away with Maria? He tells her he has family in Mexico and that she should buy a one-way ticket to El Paso.

He tells her he will pick her up in El Paso and that it would look too suspicious if they got on a bus together.

Just a theory.

Another theory . . . I doubt Lauren's wife knew about his upcoming baby. Maybe Maria started threatening to tell her.

It's a fascinating case. The one piece that is weird though is that Maria seemingly ended up in his house ALIVE. Where was the wife and daughter at the time?

This got me thinking and I hope I can type it out so it makes
sense....

what if he did tell her he wanted to be with her but that he had
to leave town due to the rape investigation ...he wanted her to join him
but she couldn’t leave right away because her mom was coming so he
told her to meet him after her mom left….

“but could she buy the "ticket for him" because
he didn't want the military to know he was going...
and then bring the ticket to his house?”

I think he had it planed.
He wasn't really going to meet her. In fact he knew she wouldn't
be alive to meet him but he had her buy a ticket (thinking it was for him)
when it really was just to put her at the ticket station to make it look like
she was leaving.

This also could be how he got her to his house...

Is this confusing or does it make sense? LOL!

 

[nnglas]

The theory that he tricked her to buy the ticket for him would work. Except for that pesky note. The note is just weird to me. I mean say she was leaving orginally on her own. Why in the world would you leave a not basically saying "I am going UA, bye" :bang:

 

[Mygirlsadie]

nnglas so what is the buzz in the area? The story is pretty big so I am assuming this is really on the tip of everyones tounge where you live huh?

The theory that he tricked her to buy the ticket for him would work. Except for that pesky note. The note is just weird to me. I mean say she was leaving orginally on her own. Why in the world would you leave a not basically saying "I am going UA, bye" :bang:

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Also..kind of o/t here but does anyone know how far Fayetville is to Jacksonville? We have a chance to move to Fayetville this summer but we haven't decided yet.

 

[harleysnana]

The theory that he tricked her to buy the ticket for him would work. Except for that pesky note. The note is just weird to me. I mean say she was leaving orginally on her own. Why in the world would you leave a not basically saying "I am going UA, bye" :bang:

What if she wrote the note with the intent on leaving it out
to be found after her mom left... but she never made it home
to put it in a drawer until then?

 

[nnglas]

Also..kind of o/t here but does anyone know how far Fayetville is to Jacksonville? We have a chance to move to Fayetville this summer but we haven't decided yet.

2 and a half to 3 hours


The buzz in Jacksonville is that everybody wants the wife charged. Mostly people are saying they think that and Maria had an affair. The popular theory about the murder is that and his wife intended to take Maria's baby and kill her and something went wrong. There are rumors that was telling people that his wife was pregnant.

 

[Mygirlsadie]

Wow ok so i'm glad everyone is pretty much on the same wave length regarding the wife. I was afraid with her also being a Marine in that big Marine community they were just going to give her all kinds of support and write her off as a victim... (which could be the case but I HIGHLY doubt it) and as for the pregnancy rumor..wow never even thought of that! Could of been the reason for the huge bloody mess left behind? They tried to perform their own C-section?!

2 and a half to 3 hours


The buzz in Jacksonville is that everybody wants the wife charged. Mostly people are saying they think that and Maria had an affair. The popular theory about the murder is that and his wife intended to take Maria's baby and kill her and something went wrong. There are rumors that was telling people that his wife was pregnant.