Police reveal cause of death for three Marines found dead near military base

26 July 2023 , 21:46

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Three Marines found dead in a parked car outside gas station pictured as the cause of death is finally revealed (Image: FB)

In a bizarre case that shocked a small North Carolina town, three Marines were found dead inside of a hot car on Sunday.

An autopsy report has come back and officially declared that the men died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Tanner Kaltenberg, 19, Merax Dockery, 23 and Ivan Garcia, 23, were all found dead inside a four-door sedan parked outside a petrol station on Sunday.

A statement from the Pender County Sheriff said they received a call from one of the men's mothers - who filed a missing person report on Sunday last week. It read: "The caller indicated that her son was a United States Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune and that he had failed to arrive on a flight in Oklahoma the night prior."

Marine Corps Lance Corporal Merax C Dockery, 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma (Facebook)

Lance Cpl Ivan R Garcia (US Marine Corps)

"The caller indicated that she had spoken with a supervisor in his unit and that someone was en route to the location to see if they could locate the missing person. At the time of this call, deputies were working a separate missing person report," continued the statement.

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ABC affiliate WTVD News reported all three of the men held the rank of lance corporal. They were found around 40 minutes away from where they were stationed in Camp Lejeune.

Sheriff Alan W. Cutler provided the following statement: “I am saddened by the timeless and tragic death of these three young men who served our country honourably. Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families and colleagues during this time.”

Lance Cpl Tanner J Kaltenberg (US Marine Corps)

Marine Corps Lance Corporal Ivan R. Garcia, 23, from Naples, Florida was found deceased in a hot car in North Carolina (Facebook)

Brigadier General Michael McWilliams from the Second Marine Logistics Group said: "My deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the family, friends and colleagues" of the three men. “Our focus is providing the necessary resources and support to those impacted by their tragic loss as they navigate this extremely difficult time,” he added.

Their deaths are still under investigation, as officials aren't sure why events turned this way.

Mr Kaltenberg, from Madison, Wisconsin, recently posted about the "fun" he was having while he was on deployment to Setermoen Leir in Norway.

Marine Corps Lance Corporal Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, from Madison, Wisconsin who was found dead under mysterious circumstances along with two other Marines (Facebook)

He wrote: "I couldn’t really post these in Setermoen Leir cause I would’ve gotten in trouble but we are coming down to the last days of deployment and it has been a blast."

Posting a picture of herself and Mr Kaltenberg on Tuesday, his devastated sister Brianna Windisch wrote on Facebook: "Our whole world is flipped upside down right now. I miss you fiercely bro… it’s never goodbye, it’s see you later. I love you so much."

Yelena Mandenberg