TIME LINE

TIME LINE

Key dates in the case

Some key dates in the case of missing Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach:

Sept. 13, 2004: Cesar A. Laurean, of the Las Vegas area, enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is currently wanted in connection with Lauterbach’s death.

April 6, 2005: Laurean joins his current unit, a combat logistics regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

June 6, 2006: Maria Lauterbach, of Dayton, Ohio, enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Nov. 23: Lauterbach joins Laurean’s unit.

April 2007: Lauterbach tells military officials she has been raped.

May 12: Marine commanders assign Lauterbach and Laurean to work in separate buildings.

May 24: A military protective order is issued against Laurean.

June 25: The protective order is automatically renewed for the first time.

Sept. 20: The order is automatically renewed for the second time.

Oct. 22: Marine commanders submit a request to send the rape case to the military’s version of a grand jury.

December: Lauterbach meets with military prosecutors to discuss her rape allegation against Laurean.

Dec. 14: Lauterbach’s mother last speaks with her daughter.

Dec. 19: Lauterbach’s mother reports her missing to police in Ohio. A missing-persons investigation begins in Onslow County, N.C.

Dec. 20: Lauterbach’s cell phone is found near the main gate at Camp Lejeune.

Dec. 24: An unidentified white male attempts to use Lauterbach’s ATM card.

Dec. 26: Lauterbach misses a prenatal care appointment.

January 2007: The protective order is automatically renewed for the third time.

Jan. 7: Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown is informed about the case and detectives execute their first search warrant.

Jan. 8: Police search the laptop computer of Marine Sgt. Daniel Durham, Lauterbach’s roommate. Authorities later conclude he is not involved.

Jan. 9: The Marine Corps says it is cooperating with the Onslow County Sheriff’s investigation into Lauterbach’s disappearance.

Jan. 10: Civilian authorities request Durham be returned from a training mission in California for questioning.

Jan. 11: Authorities believe Laurean flees Jacksonville at 4 a.m. They receive Laurean’s note from his wife, Christina, at 8 a.m., and announce four hours later they believe Lauterbach is dead. That evening, the local district attorney says burnt human remains had been found in Laurean’s backyard.

Jan. 12: Authorities complete an excavation of a fire pit in Laurean’s backyard and issue a search warrant for his arrest.

Source: Court documents, AP interviews