Homicide suspect Marine spotted in Mexico

JACKSONVILLE, N.C., Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marine wanted in the death of a pregnant Marine he was accused of raping in North Carolina was seen in his native Mexico by a cousin, CNN reported.

Juan Antonio Ramos Ramirez told the broadcaster Cpl. Cesar Laurean showed up at his liquor store in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, last week.

"He told me he was here with some buddies for a few days and, you know, it's not the first time he's come by to visit, say hi to the family," Ramirez said.

He said he wasn't aware his cousin is the focus of an FBI search. There is a $25,000 bounty on Laurean, suspected of killing 8-month-pregnant Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, whose partially burned remains were found in a fire pit in his backyard Jan. 11.

Lauterbach was last seen in mid-December. She had filed military charges of rape against Laurean last year.

A note Laurean wrote his wife said Lauterbach had killed herself Dec. 15, but autopsy results said blunt trauma to the head had killed her and the nearly full-term fetus, the report said.

North Carolina prosecutors said Monday they would be forced to remove the death penalty from consideration since Mexico refuses to extradite in capital cases.