Three men found dead in a car outside of a North Carolina gas station on July 23 have been identified as Marine lance corporals from Camp Lejeune, according to authorities.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies found the three men at 9 a.m. inside a privately-owned vehicle at a Speedway gas station in the coastal community of Hampstead while investigating a missing person report.
They were pronounced deceased on the same day, and the cause of their deaths is under investigation, according to the Pender County Sheriff’s Office on July 26.
Sgt. Chester Ward of the Pender County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press that no drugs were found in the car. He dismissed any suspicions of “foul play” concerning the deaths and said the investigation is waiting for the autopsy results.
The U.S. Marine Corps identified the men as Marine lance corporals Merax C. Dockery, 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; Ivan R. Garcia, 23, from Naples, Florida; and Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, from Madison, Wisconsin.
Brig. Gen. Michael McWilliams, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, assured that the Marine Corps would extend necessary resources and support to those affected by the tragic loss.
“My deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the family, friends, and colleagues of Lance Cpl. Kaltenberg, Lance Cpl. Dockery and Lance Cpl. Garcia,” Brig. Gen. McWilliams said in a statement.
The men were motor vehicle operators with the Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, and 2nd Marine Logistics Group at Camp Lejeune, according to First Lt. Raymond Fullbright of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
