Michel Fournier faces second-degree murder charges for allegedly killing his wife, Susan Lane-Fournier, shortly after she filed for divorce. Prosecutors say he feared losing their shared property and hid her body in a nearby forest. Family members describe the motive as rooted in his unwillingness to relinquish the home.
Michel Fournier, 71, of Oregon, is on trial for second-degree murder in the death of his 61-year-old wife, Susan Lane-Fournier. The couple, married since May 2012, faced an irreparable breakdown, leading Lane-Fournier to file for divorce on October 31, 2025, citing irreconcilable differences. An attempt to serve Fournier with the papers failed on November 8, 2024.
Lane-Fournier went missing in November 2024, with her truck found abandoned in Mount Hood National Forest. Initially treated as a missing hiker case involving her two Malinois-mix dogs, the search took a grim turn when her body was discovered on a Friday in the Welches area near East Highway 26 and East Miller Road. Authorities ruled the death a homicide, stating she had been shot in the head, neck, and chest. Fournier was arrested soon after the find.
Prosecutors allege Fournier killed her to prevent the loss of their shared property, where his name was not on the lease. In jailhouse calls to Lane-Fournier's adult son in early 2025, Fournier reportedly confessed, saying, "I'm sorry. I lost it." He added, "I will be paying for it for a very long time."
Two days after she was reported missing, Fournier contacted police, stating, "I think you guys want to talk to me. I was just served divorce papers. I've got a target on my back."
Lane-Fournier's brother, Michael Lane, told local media that Fournier acted out of narcissism to retain the property, saying, "He had to kill her to mute the divorce so he could keep the property." Her family and friends, including her mother and son Dakota Lane, suspected foul play early on. Friend James Evans discovered the body hidden under a tarp, recalling, "When I reached down to pick up the tarp, I looked up and I saw a pair of boots."
During opening statements on Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney John Millar described the tragedy: "She ended up, instead of starting that new chapter, wrapped in a tarp and dumped in the woods." The trial is expected to last two weeks.
A memorial page portrays Lane-Fournier as an artist, healer, and connector living on the forest's edge.
