Investigators in the case of Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, declared missing by her mother on December 15, discovered the remains of an adult and a fetus Saturday in a shallow grave in the backyard of the primary suspect in the death of the 20-year-old girl.

Although the identity of the body has not been confirmed yet, authorities charged Marine Cesar Armando Laurean, 21, of Nevada with killing Lauterbach in mid-December, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said according to CNN.

Describing the scene of the grave, Brown said at a news conference the body was charred and the fetus was in the victim’s abdomen. The fetus was in his eight month and well-developed as his “little hand was about the size of my thumb. The little fingers were rolled up,” Brown said.

“One of the things that will probably stick with me for a long time, and forever, is that little hand, the way those fingers were turned, that had been burned off the arm. That is bizarre. That is tragic. And it's disgusting,” he further added.

Lauterbach, of Dayton, disappeared when she was eight months pregnant, on December 14 from the Camp Lejeune Base, not long before she was to testify at a military hearing about her rape accusation against Laurean.  Laurean was not taken into custody after the girl reported the rape because there was information the two carried on “some sort of friendly relationship” after she filed the complaint against him.

During the investigations, Laurean repeatedly refused to meet with investigators, telling them that his attorney wouldn’t allow him.

Lauterbach’s mother reported her daughter missing on December 19. Police investigators say that December 14 was the last day when the victim’s cell phone was used. The device was discovered on December 20 at the front gate of Camp Lejeune.

On the same December 14, a withdrawal from Lauterbach’s bank account was made the Marine Corp Times said. Moreover, ten days after her disappearance there was suspicious activity on her bank account, the authorities reported.

Lauterbach’s family believes that her pregnancy was the results of the alleged rape, Lauterbach's uncle, Peter Steiner, a Kentucky psychiatrist said, according to CNN. Lauterbach had received a military protective order against Laurean in July, which expired in September, according to the sheriff’s office.

Police believe that Laurean left the base at 4 a.m. Friday and now a nationwide search is under way.

A note left by Laurean and addressed to his wife Christina said that the girl killed herself and that he only buried her, but evidence inside his house supports the contrary. Brown said “the blood splatters were even up into the ceiling.”

The “definite human remains” discovered in the backyard of Laurean’s house will be sent to the chief medical examiner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for DNA testing and comparison with dental records.

Authorities also questioned Lauterbach’s roommate, Sgt. Daniel Durham but he seems to not have any connection with her disappearance or death.