3 U.S. Marines found dead in car in North Carolina died from carbon monoxide poisoning

WASHINGTON, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Three U.S. Marines, who were found dead on Sunday in a car parked in North Carolina, died from carbon monoxide poisoning, the Pender County Sheriff's Office said in a press release on Wednesday.

Autopsies were performed on the bodies of the three Marines on Wednesday by the North Carolina Office of Medical Examiner. All three deaths are consistent due to carbon monoxide poisoning, said the Pender County Sheriff's Office.

On Sunday morning, the Pender County Sheriff's Office Communications received a call regarding a missing person. The caller indicated that her son was a U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune and that he had failed to arrive on a flight in Oklahoma the night before.

The missing person was later found dead, along with two other Marines, inside a vehicle parked at a convenience store in Hampstead, North Carolina, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Camp Lejeune.

The three Marines were identified as Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, from Madison, Wisconsin; Merax C. Dockery, 23, from Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; Ivan R. Garcia, 23, from Naples, Florida.

"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," said Pender County Sheriff Alan W. Cutler in the press release.