PORTLAND, Ore. — Two dogs believed to belong to a woman who was initially reported missing in the Mount Hood National Forest have been found dead, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Deputies found the body of Susan "Phoenix" Lane-Fournier, 61, on Friday.
According to the agency, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office recovered two dead dogs Saturday, and it's suspected that they are Lane-Fournier's. Their bodies have been transferred to CCSO where investigators are working to confirm their identities.
On the same day that deputies found Lane-Fournier's body in the Welches area, investigators arrested her husband, 71-year-old Michel Fournier, and booked him on a charge of second-degree murder. Lane-Fournier's death was ruled a homicide.
Lane-Fournier was reported missing on Nov. 22 when she did not show up for work, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said at the time. She and her two Malinois-mix dogs were initially believed to have gone hiking in the Mount Hood National Forest near Welches, and a friend found her truck parked in the area.
The sheriff's office suspended its search for Lane-Fournier on Tuesday night.
On Oct. 31, Lane-Fournier filed divorce proceedings in Clackamas County Circuit Court against her husband of 12 years. They were married May 5, 2012, in Welches. A petition for dissolution of marriage states "irreconcilable differences between the parties have caused an irremediable breakdown of their marriage."
The couple were both still legally married at the time of Lane-Fournier's disappearance and death. Neighbors told KGW the couple mostly kept to themselves, but lately, community members had been concerned for Lane-Fournier's safety.
"They were expecting it; a lot of people talked about domestic violence," said neighbor Betty Swan-DeLong. "The other thing was everyone wants to know where the dogs are."
The case remains an active homicide investigation, and detectives continue to request information from anyone who saw Michael Fournier in the days leading up to his wife's disappearance, or anyone with knowledge of his activities and whereabouts since.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the CCSO tip line by phone at 503-723-4949, or by using the online form at www.clackamas.us/sheriff/tip, reference CCSO case #24-024698.
KGW staff Amy-Xiaoshi DePaola, Katherine Cook and Jeremy Scott contributed to this report.