ONSLOW COUNTY — ONSLOW COUNTY: An Onslow County grand jury returned an indictment of five charges against Cesar Laurean, who is wanted in the slaying of a pregnant colleague.
Laurean, who is believed to have fled to Mexico, has been charged with first-degree murder, financial card theft, attempted financial card fraud, fraud and robbery with a dangerous weapon, Onslow County district attorney Dewey Hudson announced Thursday. Hudson is requesting that Mexican authorities arrest and extradite Laurean to Onslow County to stand trial.
"I hope that with all the attention, they will move on this case very quickly," Hudson said.
Under North Carolina law, a first-degree murder charge carries a sentence of life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty. Hudson will not seek the death penalty against Laurean, however, under the extradition agreement with Mexico. When Laurean is apprehended, the indictment will allow Hudson to lay out all the physical evidence in the case to strengthen his request for extradition.
If Laurean is arrested in the United States, Hudson could still seek the death penalty against him.
Hudson also announced the results of a second autopsy performed on the remains of Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child. The autopsy determined that Lauterbach had not delivered the fetus, and therefore, Laurean will not be charged with the death of the child. The paternity and sex of the child still have not been determined.
North Carolina is one of 13 states that does not have a fetal homicide law. Only if Lauterbach had delivered the baby before it was killed would Laurean have been charged in the fetus' death.
"The death of a viable but unborn child does not constitute murder in North Carolina," Hudson explained.
He refused to comment on any physical evidence in the case and stressed that Laurean is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If you have any information on this case, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED (1.866.439.2683) or click on "Report a Tip" Your information will be kept confidential.
