Michel Fournier, 71, is arrested for second-degree murder after his wife, Susan Lane-Fournier, 61, was found dead in the Mount Hood National Forest months after filing for divorce. Fournier is being held without bail following the discovery of Lane-Fournier’s body on Friday, which was ruled a homicide by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office on Saturday.
The arrest occurred shortly after the body was found. Lane-Fournier had been reported missing on Nov. 22, and authorities initially believed she was a “missing hiker” who had gotten lost with her two Malinois mix dogs. His truck was found, prompting an intense search by authorities. Law and crime reported.
“From Saturday through Tuesday, dozens of search volunteers, drone teams and air tracking and tracking K9s spent more than 800 search hours searching for Ms. Lane-Fournier,” the report said. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said. However, after four days of searching and difficult weather conditions, the operation was suspended.
Even though the official search was called off, friends and family remained skeptical of the missing hiker theory. “She is ex-search and rescue in California, so she knows the safety procedures very well when it comes to being in the woods,” Lane-Fournier’s son said. Dakota Lane said as authorities continued the search.
He added: “Unless there’s a big pack of coyotes or a really big angry bear, there’s nothing standing between her and those dogs.” Lane-Fournier’s friend James Evans, who also doubted the missing person claim, found her body under a tarp.
“When I bent down to pick up the tarp, I looked up and saw a pair of boots,” Evans said. CBS affiliate KOIN. Lane-Fournier’s dogs are still missing. Lane-Fournier had filed for divorce from Michel Fournier on October 31, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Their filing detailed an “irretrievable breakdown of their marriage,” and an attempt to serve Fournier with divorce papers on Nov. 8 was unsuccessful. Following the tragic discovery, Lane-Fournier’s family and friends have focused on seeking justice.
They created a facebook group during the initial search, where they wrote, “Always our Phoenix” referring to his nickname “Phoenix”. Lane-Fournier’s brother, Steven Lane, expressed his family’s suspicions about the situation but urged public speculation to be tempered to avoid hampering the ongoing investigation. A candlelight vigil is planned for Monday night in Lane-Fournier’s honor.