By NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Oct 7, 2008
Updated: Oct 7, 2008

ONSLOW and CUMBERLAND COUNTIES — CUMBERLAND and ONSLOW COUNTIES: Less than a year ago, the brutal beating death of a pregnant Marine sent shockwaves through North Carolina. Maria Lauterbach’s charred remains were found in a fire pit in the backyard of fellow Marine Cesar Laurean, who is awaiting extradition from Mexico to faces murder charges in her death.

Lauterbach was eight and a half months pregnant, and the remains of the fetus, who was a boy to be named Gabriel, lay beside her in shallow grave.

The case made national headlines and launched an international manhunt for Laurean who escaped to Mexico before being captured in April.

In the last four months, three servicewoman have been murdered by their husbands or lovers on or near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville and Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville. These harrowing headlines have prompted questions about the safety of servicewomen in their own homes.

Most recently, two Army soldiers were arrested for allegedly conspiring to murder Christina Smith, 29, who was stationed at Fort Bragg.

According to search warrants, Christina Smith was walking near her apartment with her husband Richard Smith when 18-year-old Private Matthew Kvapil jumped out of the bushes and stabbed her to death.

The warrants further state that Kvapil told police Richard Smith had repeatedly requested that Kvapil kill his wife, and finally offered him $30,000 to carry out the deed.

Kvapil led authorities to the knife and both men were arrested last week.

Military spokespersons have been tightlipped about these murders, and have stated that no protocol was violated in any case. They have not commented further about safety concerns for servicewomen. All four incidents occurred off post.

Megan Touma, a Fort Bragg soldier, was seven months pregnant when her decomposing body was found inside a Fayetteville motel room July 21. She had not reported for duty since June 12.

In late July, police arrested Edgar Patino, an Army sergeant, for Touma’s murder. Authorities alleged that Patino was the father of Touma’s unborn child.

Eerily similar to Lauterbach, Fort Bragg nurse Holley Wimunc’s charred remains were discovered in a shallow grave near Camp Lejeune in July. She has been reported missing three days earlier after a fire had been set at her apartment. Her ex-husband, John Wimunc, was a Marine serving at Camp Lejeune.

He and a colleague have been charged in her death.