( CNN ) -- Former U.S. Marine Cesar Laurean was convicted in North Carolina on Monday of first degree murder in the 2007 death of Lance Cpl . Maria Lauterbach , who was eight months pregnant when she died . An autopsy showed that Lauterbach , 20 , died of blunt force trauma to the head . Police unearthed her charred body from beneath a barbecue pit in Laurean 's backyard in January 2008 . She had disappeared the month before . Laurean , who was dressed in black slacks and wore a white shirt and black tie , did not show any emotion as the judge read his sentence of life in prison without parole . He either said or mouthed something to someone in the audience of the courtroom before he was led out in handcuffs , video showed . Laurean and Lauterbach were stationed together at Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . `` I truly believe that Maria was the perfect victim . Because of her credibility problems , our pleas for help [ after her disappearance ] were rejected or discounted by everyone , '' Mary Lauterbach , the victim 's mother , said after the verdict was read , CNN affiliate WRAL reported . North Carolina prosecutors alleged Laurean killed Lauterbach on December 14 and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico . Laurean was arrested there in April 2008 . He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico . Before her death , Lauterbach told the Marines that Laurean had raped her . Laurean denied it , and disappeared just a few weeks before a scheduled rape hearing at Camp LeJeune . WRAL reported Lauterbach later recanted the allegation of rape . The DNA of Lauterbach 's unborn child did not match that of Laurean , according to law enforcement personnel . Onslow County Chief Assistant District Attorney Ernie Lee said in his closing argument that Laurean needed to kill Lauterbach to salvage his military career , WRAL reported . `` I can get rid of my problem , '' Lee said to explain what Laurean might have been thinking , reported WRAL . Authorities found Lauterbach 's body after Laurean 's wife , Christina , produced a note her husband had written claiming the 20-year-old woman slit her own throat during an argument , according to officials . Although a gaping 4-inch wound was found on the left side of Lauterbach 's neck , autopsy results indicated that the wound itself would not have been fatal and may have occurred after death . `` It is a just result , but still a tragedy with no winners , '' Merle Wilberding , a lawyer who represented the Lauterbach family , wrote in an e-mail to CNN after the verdict . Laurean 's lawyer said his client would appeal the decision . CNN 's Susan Candiotti contributed to this report .
NEW : Cesar Laurean 's mother says her daughter was the `` perfect victim '' The former Cesar Laurean was sentenced to life in prison without parole . He was convicted December 14 in the death of a female Marines who was pregnant . The lawyer for Victim says the case will be appealed .