Cesar Laurean and Melissa Huckaby in the News

Laurean
In a brief court appearance on Monday, Cesar Laurean entered a plea of not guilty in the death of 20-year-old Maria Lauterbach.

Lauterbach’s charred remains were found by sheriff's deputies under a fire pit in Laurean's backyard in January 2008. She was eight months pregnant.

In 2007, Lauterbach told military officials that she had been raped by Laurean, but later recanted that story. DNA tests have recently ruled out Laurean as the father of Lauterbach’s unborn child.

A judge has set March 15, 2010 for the trial to begin. Laurean’s defense attorney, Dick McNeal says he has eight pending murder cases and wouldn’t be ready for trial before next year.

McNeal said this is a serious case with a lot of issues and it will take some time to review.

District Attorney Dewey Hudson was not happy after Monday's hearing, saying the trial date is too far away, adding the case should be handled expeditiously.

Laurean is being held in isolation in Onslow County, North Carolina.

WRAL
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Huckaby
Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa filed a motion on Tuesday asking the presiding judge to enter a plea of not guilty and to set a preliminary hearing date for 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby.

Huckaby is due to appear in court for the fourth time at 1:20 pm this Friday and Public Defender Sam Behar has yet to enter a plea for Huckaby. The motion filed Tuesday gives the court the ability to file a plea on her behalf.

Huckaby was arrested on April 10 for allegedly raping and killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu. Later, additional charges were added that she “furnished a harmful substance” to a 36-year-old man named Daniel Plowman and a 7-year-old girl.

Prosecutors are apparently growing impatient and want to get the case moving referencing statute that “All criminal actions in which … a minor … is the victim … shall be given precedence over all other criminal actions in the order of trial.”

Motion To Set Preliminary Hearing Date
Mercury News
Tracy Press

Laurean In Lock Up In North Carolina

~Cesar Laurean
booking photo






At 9 p.m. last evening, Cesar Laurean was booked into the Onslow County Detention Center. He is being held without bail on charges of credit card transaction fraud, obtaining property by false pretenses and first-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach.

Prosecutors contend Laurean killed Lauterbach on December 14. 10 days later he used her ATM card and fled to Mexico. He was arrested in San Juan Vina in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Laurean holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico so he could not be immediately deported. He spent the past year fighting the extradition process.

Maj. Cliff Gilmore, Camp Lejeune spokesman, said Laurean would go to the civilian jail in Onslow County and stand trial in a civilian court. Laurean was listed as a deserter after he disappeared, but is still considered an active-duty Marine.

Laurean faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole if convicted. Mexico’s extradition policies prohibit U.S. authorities to seek the death penalty.

Because authorities have determined that Maria's child had not been born at the time of her death, DA Dewey Hudson said, prosecutors are only allowed to charge Laurean with a single count of murder under North Carolina law.

Lauterbach's body was found after Laurean's wife, Christina, provided authorities with a note her husband had written that claimed the 20-year-old Lauterbach slit her own throat during an argument.

A gaping 4-inch wound was found on the left side of Lauterbach's neck, but autopsy results indicated the wound would not have been fatal and possibly occurred after death. The autopsy report indicates Lauterbach died from blunt-force trauma to the head.

Prosecutors have said there was no evidence that Christina Laurean was involved in or aware of Lauterbach's death.

An arraignment is scheduled for Monday, April 20.

Defense attorney Dick McNeil says Laurean will plead not guilty once in court.

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