PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- About a week after his estranged wife was reported missing, a 71-year-old man was arrested for her murder.
Michel Fournier was taken into custody late Friday night hours after the body of his wife, Susan-Lane Fournier, was discovered in an unincorporated part of Clackamas County near Welches.
On Saturday, officials confirmed the body found was that of the 61-year-old woman who had been reported missing on November 22, along with her two dogs.
After Lane-Fournier's truck was found on Nov. 23, rescue crews spent four days scouring the Mt. Hood National Forest for signs of Lane-Fournier and the dogs, but the search was called off Tuesday morning.
Lane-Fournier's body was discovered four miles from where her truck was found, authorities said. However, the dogs have not been found at this time.
James Evans, her friend who spent days looking for her, told KOIN 6 News he had a feeling he would find her body there.
"I went down the path, maybe 20 yards. I’ve seen some tarp. I thought it was trash," Evans told KOIN 6 News. "I bent over to pick up the tarp and as I bent over and came up, I seen a pair of boots connected to a leg.”
"I directly dropped the tarp, backed up, gathered myself together, turned around and went to the lodge and had the office call 911 immediately," he said. "It was pretty heartbreaking."
Evans said Susan Lane-Fournier "was my friend and you know I wasn’t super-super close to her, but she was my friend and I told myself that I was gonna find her."
He said he knew the search for the woman in the Mount Hood National Forest would not produce any results.
“We knew she wasn’t up there. We tried to tell (the official search teams) that but, you know, they were just doing their job,” Evans said.
He added he plans to go out Sunday to look for the missing dogs.
Lane-Fournier had also filed for divorce against Michel after 12 years of marriage, according to court documents. It’s unclear if the divorce had any connection to her murder.
Investigators add they are looking to speak with anyone who may have seen Michel Fournier or may have 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.
