Marine’s death spurs Turner to amend defense bill

Lawmaker inserts measures inspired by Lauterbach case.

File Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach of Vandalia

Photos: Maria Lauterbach case

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By Jessica Wehrman, Staff Writer Updated 7:00 AM Thursday, June 18, 2009

WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee early Wednesday morning, June 17, passed a Defense authorization bill that included amendments introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner inspired by the slaying of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach of Vandalia.

Turner, R-Centerville, successfully added to the bill a measure that requires the military to inform any service member offered a military protective order of their right to transfer to another base.

Lauterbach, who disappeared in December 2007 and whose body was found in January 2008, had wanted to transfer to another base after she’d accused fellow Marine Cesar Laurean of raping her, according to her mother, but had never been advised of her right to do so.

The military has said Lauterbach never requested such a transfer. Laurean has since been charged in Lauterbach’s slaying, and awaits trial in North Carolina.

Turner, along with U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., also added provisions to the bill aimed at better tracking how the military works to prevent sexual assaults and how it reacts to accusations of sexual assault.

Turner said their efforts are aimed at “taking what we learned from (Lauterbach’s) tragedy” and changing the laws to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.

The bill, which included some $105 million in funding for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, will next go to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

Turner also successfully added to the bill a measure aimed at protecting child custody rights of deployed military service personnel.

That measure has prepassed the House three times, but stalled in the Senate because of Defense Department objections. It would bar courts from permanently altering a custody agreement while a military parent is deployed.

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