Autopsy Findings Reveal Unconnected and Rusted Exhaust Pipes
RALEIGH, N.C. — Autopsy findings released on Wednesday indicate that the car in which three Marines died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in North Carolina had unconnected and rusted exhaust pipes. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office had previously stated that the autopsies performed on lance corporals Tanner Kaltenberg, Merax Dockery, and Ivan Garcia determined that they died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The new reports confirm this as the probable cause of death and dismiss suicide, foul play, or drug use as underlying factors.
Unsafe Modifications Contributed to Tragic Deaths
According to the reports from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Marines were found dead on the morning of July 23 in a convenience store parking lot in Hampstead. The reports revealed that the 2000 Lexus sedan belonging to Garcia had been modified in a manner that caused significant defects in the exhaust system. The car had been “lowered,” and the exhaust pipes were found to be rusted and disconnected. This unsafe modification led to the release of exhaust under the passenger cabin rather than at the rear bumper, the reports stated.
High Concentrations of Carbon Monoxide Detected
Toxicology reports indicated that the Marines’ blood had concentrations of carbon monoxide ranging from 24% to 27%. These findings, coupled with the information regarding the faulty exhaust system, led to the determination that the deaths were accidental.
Investigation Continues
Deputies discovered the bodies of the three men approximately 30 miles southwest of Camp Lejeune after one of the Marines’ mothers reported her son missing. Surveillance video from the gas station where the Marines parked the car in the early hours of July 22 revealed that they were never seen exiting the vehicle. The car’s tinted windows and the fact that it was unlocked but not running when authorities found it added to the mystery surrounding the tragedy.
Authorities did not immediately provide further information regarding the ongoing investigation. Lance corporal Tanner Kaltenberg, 19, hailed from Madison, Wisconsin, while both Merax Dockery, 23, and Ivan Garcia, 23, came from Seminole, Oklahoma, and Naples, Florida, respectively.