Estranged husband arrested for murder after missing woman’s body found

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — About a week after his estranged wife gave birth reported missinga 71-year-old man was arrested for her murder.

Michel Fournier was taken into custody late Friday evening, hours after the body of his wife Susan-Lane Fournier was found. was discovered in an unincorporated portion of Clackamas County near Viels.

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On Saturday, officials confirmed that the body found was that of the 61-year-old woman who had been there reported missing on November 22nd, along with her two dogs.

After Lane-Fournier’s truck was found on November 23, rescue crews responded spent four days I’m scouring the Mt. Hood National Forest for signs of Lane-Fournier and the dogs, but the The search was aborted Tuesday morning.

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Lane-Fournier’s body was discovered four miles from where her truck was found, authorities said. However, the dogs had not yet been found at this time.

James Evans, her boyfriend who had been searching for her for days, told KOIN 6 News he had a feeling he would find her body there.

“I walked along the path, maybe 20 meters. I saw a tarp. I thought it was trash,” Evans told KOIN 6 News. “I bent down to pick up the tarp and as I bent down and came up, I saw a pair of boots attached to one leg.”

“I immediately dropped the tarp, sat backwards, collected myself, turned around, went to the lodge and had the office immediately call 911,” he said. “It was pretty heartbreaking.”

Evans said Susan Lane-Fournier “was my friend and you know I wasn’t particularly close to her, but she was my friend and I told myself I would find her.”

He said he knew searching for the woman in Mount Hood National Forest would yield no results.

“We knew she wasn’t up there. We tried to tell (official search teams) but they were just doing their job,” Evans said.

He added that he plans to go out on Sunday to look for the missing dogs.

According to court documents, Lane-Fournier had also filed for divorce against Michel after 12 years of marriage. It is unclear whether the divorce had any connection to her murder.

Investigators add that they want to speak to anyone who saw Michel Fournier or has knowledge of his whereabouts in the days before Lane-Fournier’s disappearance.

Fournier is currently being held without bail in the Clackamas County Jail.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

This is a developing story. Stay with KOIN 6 News for updates.

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