Laurean denied bond

Cesar Laurean will remain in the Onslow County Jail with no bond, at least until his arraignment May 18, a district court judge ruled Monday.

Laurean, 22, a Camp Lejeune Marine corporal slated for a discharge, is accused of beating a pregnant colleague to death with a crowbar in Mid-December 2007.

When Judge Paul A. Hardison asked whether Laurean - who wore a bullet-resistant vest under an orange jail jumpsuit - understood the charges against him, Laurean replied, "Yes, sir."

Laurean fled Onslow County in January 2008, shortly before the charred remains of 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and that of her unborn child were found buried in Laurean's Half Moon community backyard.

Onslow County sheriff's detectives believe Laurean used a crowbar to kill Lauterbach on Dec. 14, 2007, according to affidavits attached to a search warrant served on Laurean on Monday to gain DNA samples.

The affidavit states that a friend of Laurean's, Dennis Ward, helped Laurean build a fire pit in Laurean's backyard on Dec. 16, 2007, with materials purchased that day at Lowe's Home Improvement. At the end of the day, Laurean gave Ward a crowbar.

Laurean fled Onslow County on Jan. 11, 2008. Ward brought the crowbar to the sheriff's department the next day, according to the affidavits.

Investigators have previously confirmed that the crowbar was sent to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation for testing.

Lauterbach told Naval investigators that Laurean had raped her in early 2007, but later recanted the accusations. Later DNA tests confirmed he was not the father of Lauterbach's unborn child, according to the Associated Press.

Laurean was arrested in Mexico in April 2008 and extradited Friday. He was flown to Miami with two other prisoners - one an accused Columbian drug lord reputed to have taken the place of Pablo Escobar and wanted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Ricardo Alday, a spokesman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C.

A U.S. State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly about the situation, said the three prisoners' extradition was organized as a goodwill gesture by Mexican officials to coincide with the visit of President Barack Obama.

Alday denied that, saying extradition is a "legal matter" and that there was "no special symbolism" in Laurean and the others being extradited the same week Obama visited.

During a press conference set up after the court hearing Monday, District Attorney Dewey Hudson said prosecutors would have preferred to be able to ask for capital punishment in Laurean's case.

"I am disappointed the state cannot seek the death penalty in the case," Hudson said, adding that prosecutors hands were tied because of Mexican extradition rules.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown expressed his desire to see a new state law to make the death of an unborn child by injury to the mother a murder.

"Our quiet and peaceful county of Onslow has been shocked by the hideous murder of Maria and Gabriel Lauterbach," Brown said during the press conference. "Through all my years in law enforcement, no crime committed in our county, or anywhere else, has generated so much public response. When the citizens express their feelings to me about this case they describe their anger and their outrage for the murder of the unborn baby. It appears to me that the murder of Gabriel incites an unbelievable desire for vengeance."

Laurean's attorney, Jacksonville lawyer Dick McNeil, up next in the press conference after Brown, thanked Brown for making statements that would help with his first change of venue motion.

McNeil said his chances of getting the trial moved outside Onslow County because of extensive media coverage were very good.

"If it was a betting thing, Vegas would take it off the board," McNeil said.

Lindell Kay can be contacted at 910-219-8456 or at lkay@freedomenc.com. Daily News columnist Mike McHugh and The Associated Press contributed to this report.