What happened to three U.S. marines found dead in North Carolina?

Autopsies performed on three U.S. marines found dead in a parked car at a North Carolina gas station have found the trio died from carbon monoxide poisoning, Pender County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Wednesday.

On Sunday morning, Tanner J. Kaltenberg, 19, Merax C. Dockery, 23, Ivan R. Garcia, 23, all Marine Corps lance corporals, were found dead inside a vehicle at a Speedway convenience store along a highway in Hampstead, North Carolina. The three men were based at Camp Lejeune, 29 miles from the gas station where they were found, the Marine Corps said.

A missing person’s report was filed prior to the discovery of the bodies, with a woman calling the sheriff’s office saying her son had failed to show up for a flight in Oklahoma the night before. The office said: “The caller indicated that she had spoken with a supervisor in his unit and that someone was en route to the location to see if they could locate the missing person.”

According to Sgt. Chester Ward, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, the woman was able to direct police to the gas station after pinging her son’s phone to determine its location.

At 9:03 a.m. a second call indicated the missing person had been located along with two others at the Speedway gas station, Pender County Sheriff’s office confirmed in a press release.

Sheriff Alan Cutler said in a statement: “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.”

Ward told USA Today he did not know how long the car had been parked at the gas station before its discovery. He also confirmed authorities were unaware of where the marines were traveling to.

Newsweek has contacted the Pender County Sheriff’s Office for further information regarding the deaths.

Who Were the Marines Found Dead in South Carolina?

Merax C. Dockery

Merax C. Dockery was the youngest of five siblings and was raised in Seminole, Oklahoma. He graduated from Seminole High School in 2019. In June 2020 he entered active-duty, according to the U.S Marine Corps, having previously been based in the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, the School of Infantry-West at Camp Pendleton in California and at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

He was the recipient of several military awards, including the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Bob Gragg, Superintendent of Seminole Public Schools, said in a statement: “Our condolences and prayers are extended to his family and friends.”

Dockery’s mother, Heather Glass, confirmed to the Associated Press that she and another relative drove to Oklahoma airport on Saturday evening to collect her son, who was due to fly home for his grandfather’s funeral.

Regarding the circumstances of her son’s death, she told AP: “I feel at peace because I know he was asleep when he passed.”

“He was just a kind soul,” Glass continued. “He was liked by everybody. He was a real good kid.”

Micah Dockery, who describes Merax C. Dockery as her “baby brother,” wrote on Facebook: “I don’t feel like this is real, it can’t be. I love you MerMan.”

Another sister, Faith Dockery, said on Facebook that losing her brother was “such a crazy thing” and that the loss “still feels like a bad dream.”

Tanner J. Kaltenberg

Tanner J. Kaltenberg, from Madison, Wisconsin, attended Verona Area High, according to his Facebook page, while reports from WITN show he was an active baseball player.

According to the U.S. Marine Corps he began active-duty service in 2021. Prior to his time at Camp Lejeune, like Dockery, he was based in San Diego at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and in Missouri at Fort Leonard Wood.

During his service he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Medal, the Navy Arctic Service Ribbon and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.

According to his Facebook profile, he had recently been deployed to Norway and Sweden, where he said he had taken part in the “the longest convoy in marine corps history across borders.”

Ivan R. Garcia

Ivan R. Garcia graduated from Lely High School in Naples, Florida, in 2019, and entered active-duty service in July 2019, according to the U.S. Marine Corps, making him the longest-serving member of the three.

Chad Oliver, spokesperson for the school district where Garcia was educated, told USA Today: “It is a sad day anytime one of our Collier County Public Schools alumni passes away, especially at such a young age.”

Like Kaltenberg and Dockery, he was based in San Diego at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and at Fort Leonard Wood before being moved to Camp Lejeune. His military awards include the National Defense Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation and Global War on Terror Service Medal.