“Three US Marines Found Dead from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning”

Three U.S. Marines were found unresponsive in a car at a gas station in North Carolina and died of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the local sheriff’s office. The Marines, stationed at Camp Lejeune, were identified as Tanner J. Kaltenberg, Merax C. Dockery, and Ivan R. Garcia. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office has not determined if their deaths were accidental. The families and colleagues of the Marines are in the thoughts and prayers of Sheriff Alan Cutler. Times Colonist reported

Three U.S. Marines Found dead from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Three U.S. Marines were found unresponsive in a car at a gas station in North Carolina and died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the local sheriff’s office. The tragic incident took place in Hampstead, a coastal community, where deputies from the Pender County Sheriff’s Office discovered the bodies of the Marines in a privately owned Lexus sedan parked outside a Speedway gas station. The North Carolina Medical Examiner’s autopsies confirmed that the cause of death for all three Marines was carbon monoxide poisoning. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office has not yet determined whether the deaths were accidental.

Sheriff Alan Cutler expressed his condolences and said, “I am saddened by the timeless and tragic death of these three young men, who served our country honorably. Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families and colleagues during this time.”

The three Marines were lance corporals stationed at Camp Lejeune, located 29 miles northeast of the gas station. They were identified as Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, from Madison, Wisconsin; Merax C. Dockery, 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; and Ivan R. Garcia, 23, from Naples, Florida. All three were motor vehicle operators with the Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, and 2nd Marine Logistics Group.

The Pender County Sheriff’s Office received a missing person report from one of the Marines’ mothers, who was concerned when her son failed to arrive home on a scheduled flight. The search for the Marines began, and sadly, their bodies were found in the parked car.

Heather Glass, the mother of Merax C. Dockery, shared her grief and mentioned that she had been waiting for her son at an airport in Oklahoma City when he didn’t arrive. Glass contacted the sheriff’s office and her son’s sergeant at Camp Lejeune to initiate the search. She expressed relief that her son passed away peacefully in his sleep, likely due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Funeral arrangements for Merax C. Dockery are being made, with the dates dependent on when his body can be released to the family. Heather Glass described her son as a kind soul, liked by everyone, and someone who joined the Marines for personal growth and the opportunity to travel.

The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative provided this report. Hannah Schoenbaum and Gary D. Robertson contributed to the article.

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