Missing woman found dead near Welches; Husband accused of murder

CLACKAMAS COUNTY Ore. (KPTV) – A body was found in the Welches area on Friday was identified as a 61-year-old woman who was initially believed to have gone missing while hiking in the Mt. Hoodthe Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.

After her body was found near East Highway 26 and East Miller Road Friday morning, the medical examiner’s office identified the person as Susan Lane-Fournier and determined her death was a homicide.

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Susan Lane-Fournier, 61, disappeared Friday while hiking in Mount Hood National Forest.

Also on Friday, shortly after Lane-Fournier’s body was found, detectives arrested Michel Fournier, 71, of Brightwood. He was booked into the Clackamas County Jail, where he is being held without bail on a charge of second-degree murder.

Authorities also confirmed Saturday that Lane-Fournier and Michel Fournier were married at the time of her death. However, according to court documents, Lane-Fournier filed for divorce just two weeks before she disappeared.

Divorce papers show she was found near the couple’s Brightwood property.

71-year-old Michel Fournier(Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office)

Khalid Kamahwe worked with Lane-Fournier at Hoodland Bazaar in Brightwood.

“In the last few weeks before she went missing, she feared for her life, so she took her dogs with her all the time,” Kamahwe said.

Lane-Fournier was first reported missing on November 22 after she failed to show up for work. On November 23, a community member found her pickup truck parked near East Salmon River Road and the Green Canyon Way Trail south of Welches.

This led to a multi-day search and rescue operation by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team as detectives continued their investigation.

Two of Lane-Fournier’s dogs were also missing but have not yet been found.

Both dogs are believed to have been with Lane-Fournier when she went missing.(CCSO)

Investigators want to talk to anyone who may have seen Michel Fournier in the days before her disappearance or who has information about what he was doing or where he went last week. Anyone with information should contact the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 503-723-4949 or by using the online form at: clackamas.us/sheriff/tip. Please refer to CCSO Case No. 24-024698