A female hiker who went missing near Mount Hood was discovered dead, resulting in her estranged husband facing charges of murder. The woman, 61-year-old Susan Lane-Fournier, had recently filed for divorce from the accused.
Lane-Fournier resided in Brightwood, Oregon, and was reported unaccounted for on November 22, 2024 after she did not show up for work. Her white Ford F-250 truck was later located on East Salmon River Road, near the Green Canyon Way Trail in Welches, Oregon.
After the report of her disappearance, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office initiated a substantial search operation, involving over 20 volunteers and Search and Rescue teams. The search operations continued for several days in temperatures in the 30s, amounting to more than 800 hours of search time.
Lane-Fournier’s body was finally found on November 29 near East Highway 26 and East Miller Road in Welches. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy, confirming her death as a homicide.
Michel Fournier, her 71-year-old husband, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder following the discovery. He is currently being held without bail in Clackamas County Jail.
According to court documents, Lane-Fournier had started divorce proceedings against Fournier on October 31, citing irreconcilable differences. However, the divorce petition was never successfully served.
Known as “Phoenix” to her friends, Lane-Fournier was hiking with her two Malinois-mix dogs, Elrond and Elros, at the time of her disappearance. The bodies of both dogs were subsequently found by authorities in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Lane-Fournier’s friend, Cari Gesch, stated that Lane-Fournier had expressed fear about serving the divorce papers, worried that Fournier could harm her or her dogs.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is appealing for information from anyone who may have noted any unusual activity or whereabouts of Michel Fournier in the days leading up to and following Lane-Fournier’s disappearance. Fournier’s booking photo has been released under a 2022 Oregon law exception to assist in identifying any additional criminal behavior.