Three US Marines who were in their youth were discovered deceased in a vehicle at a gas station in North Carolina on Sunday morning. Investigators are currently grappling with the mystery surrounding the cause of their deaths.
Sgt. Chester Ward from the Pender County Sheriff’s Department stated to ABC affiliate WTVD News that there is currently no reason to suspect foul play or any suspicious activities. The authorities are awaiting the results of the autopsy report to shed light on the circumstances of the tragic incident, as they currently lack substantial information about what might have transpired.
According to Ward, there were no drugs discovered inside the vehicle.
The unsettling incident took place when deputies, in response to a missing person’s report, came across the lifeless bodies of the three men inside a four-door sedan. The car was parked outside a Speedway convenience store in Hampstead, which is approximately an hour’s drive away from Camp Lejeune.
The discovery of the deceased individuals occurred at around 9 a.m. on Sunday, as mentioned by the sheriff’s office in a Facebook post.
The three young Marines have been recognized as Tanner Kaltenberg, aged 19, hailing from Madison, Wisconsin; Merax Dockery, aged 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; and Ivan Garcia, aged 23, from Naples, Florida. Each of them held the rank of lance corporal.
Brig. Gen. Michael McWilliams, who serves as the commanding officer of the Second Marine Logistics Group, expressed his condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased Marines through an official statement.
He emphasized that their primary objective is to offer essential resources and unwavering support to those affected by this devastating loss as they cope with this exceptionally challenging period.
