CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — An autopsy report indicates three Marines found inside a car on July 23 died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The U.S. Marine Corps identified the Marines found in a privately-owned vehicle in Hampstead as:
- Lance Cpl. Tanner Kaltenberg, 19, of Madison, Wisconsin
- Lance Cpl. Merax Dockery, 23, of Pottawatomie, Oklahoma
- Lance Cpl. Ivan Garcia, 23, of Naples, Florida
The three Marines were stationed at nearby Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps said.
Autopsy reports obtained by WRAL News in December rule out suicide, drug use or foul play, instead suggesting the car was rigged in a way that was not safe. The car was found when family members of one of the Marines tracked the location of his phone after he missed his flight.
An autopsy report states the car "had been modified in a way that caused multiple large defects in the exhaust system." Another report describes the car had been "lowered" and the exhaust pipes were rusted and not connected.
"It appeared that exhaust from the vehicle would have been released under the passenger cabin and not the rear bumper," the report reads.
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