Authorities discovered the tragic death of the three U.S. Marines who were found dead inside a car at a North Carolina gas station.
Autopsies revealed that the three men died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
They have been identified as 19-year-old Tanner Kaltenberg of Wisconsin, 23-year-old Merax Dockery of Oklahoma, and 23-year-old Ivan Garcia of Florida.
3 U.S. Marines found dead inside a car at Speedway gas station in Hampstead. The U.S. Marine Corps identified the men as Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, Merax C. Dockery, 23 and Ivan R. Garcia, 23, of Naples, Florida.https://t.co/r7i50LKCgU pic.twitter.com/BY1EJYk88C
— Fox3 Now (@fox3news) July 25, 2023
The mother of one of the Marines filed a missing person report after her son failed to arrive on a flight to Oklahoma.
The Marines were found just outside of Camp LeJeune at a Speedway gas station.
The Pender County Sheriff’s Office said the Marines had passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning, but police did not release any further information.
Pender County Sheriff Alan Cutler said he was “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,” Cutler said.
Officials Release Names of 3 Marines Found Dead at North Carolina Gas Station: "Tragic Loss" https://t.co/kP8QGf7XKv pic.twitter.com/ibciWvYan0
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There is widespread speculation about what happened as police continue their investigation.
“I might assume they were on their way to the Wilmington, N.C. airport and stopped on the way to get a snack with car still running with AC on and did not realize the exhaust was leaking into the car,” one person speculated.
Another person demanded a thorough investigation. “Three young healthy Marines don’t just accidentally die all at the same time while sitting in their vehicle in the parking lot of a convenience store.”
“These suspicious circumstances deserve a more in-depth investigation and the untimely deaths of these Marines should raise serious questions,” the person added.
