The autopsies of three Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Marines have come back ruling their cause of death is from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The three Marines were found dead inside a vehicle at a Speedway gas station on Sunday, July 23.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office investigators said the men were inside a privately owned vehicle at the Speedway gas station in Hampstead. Sgt. Chester Ward said that a woman called 911 on Saturday, saying her son was stationed at Camp Lejeune and hadn’t arrived for a flight in Oklahoma. She said she called a supervisor, who told her they were on the way to locate him.
He also said no drugs were found in the vehicle, and they do not suspect foul play.
We do not suspect anything as far as foul play in that matter,” Ward said, noting that the sheriff’s office is waiting on autopsy results because the cause of death “might be something that we don’t see.”
Sgt. Ward says investigators are also working to determine how long the men were dead before their bodies were discovered.
This is an ongoing investigation. There does not appear to have ever been any threat to members of the community. More information will be released as we are able to do so, a sheriff’s office announcement states.
Authorities released the identities of the three Marines as 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Tanner Kaltenberg of Madison, Wisconsin, 23-year-old Lance Cpl. Merax Dockery of Pottawatomie, Oklahoma, and 23-year-old Lance Cpl. Ivan Garcia of Naples, Florida.
The North Carolina Beat have obtained photos of the three Marines below:
According to First Lt. Raymond Fullbright, of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, the three men were motor vehicle operators with the Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2 and 2nd Marine Logistics Group at Camp Lejeune.
Kaltenberg received numerous military awards, including the National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Medal, Navy Arctic Service Ribbon, and Global War on Terror Service Medal.
Dockery received military awards for his service in San Diego, Camp Pendleton, and Fort Leonard Wood, including the National Defense Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Global War on Terror Service Medal.
Garcia received military awards for his service in Parris Island, Camp Lejeune, and Fort Leonard Wood, including the National Defense Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Global War on Terror Service Medal.
Sgt. Ward said the three men autopsies could be back Wednesday.
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