Days After Oregon Hiker Was Found Slain, Police Believe They've Found Bodies of Her 2 Dogs

12/02/2024 11:18 AM

Investigators were searching for the two large Malinois-mix dogs in hopes of also discovering their missing owner, a slain Oregon woman found dead on Saturday

Oregon officials believe they've discovered the bodies of two dogs who belonged to a 61-year-old woman who was found slain over the weekend.

Susan Lane-Fournier's remains were discovered on Nov. 29 alongside a rural highway in northwest Oregon, near vacation cabins and hiking trails in the area of Mount Hood. Her body was discovered after a nearly week-long search for her and her two large Malinois-mix dogs, who were reported missing on Nov. 22.

Lane-Fournier's estranged husband, 71-year-old Michel Fournier, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder shortly after authorities discovered his wife's body. 

Jail records reviewed by PEOPLE on Monday show Fournier remains in custody without bail.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office shared in an update on Sunday that they believe they've also now discovered the bodies of Lane-Fournier's missing dogs.

"On Saturday, November 30, 2024, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office recovered two deceased dogs believed to be Susan Lane-Fournier's," the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement shared on social media. "The dogs have been transferred to the custody of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, where investigators are working to confirm their identities."

The sheriff's office said the case "remains an active homicide investigation" and asked for "anyone who saw Michel Fournier in the days leading up to Susan's disappearance or has knowledge of his activities and whereabouts since then" to contact authorities.

Earlier in the weekend, the sheriff's office announced they had located Lane-Fournier's body "near East Highway 26 and East Miller Road in unincorporated Clackamas County."

Related: Husband of Missing Oregon Woman Arrested and Charged with Murder After Her Remains Are Found

Local KOIN reported that Lane-Fournier recently filed for divorce from her husband after 12 years of marriage. In her October divorce filing, the Oregon woman cited "irreconcilable differences" between her and her estranged husband, which "caused an irremediable breakdown of their marriage," according to local KGW.

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Related: Oregon Woman's Truck Found After She Vanished with 2 Dogs: 'She's Just the Most Kindest, Most Loving Person'

Lane-Fournier was first reported missing on Friday, Nov. 22, "after failing to arrive at her workplace," according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. A "multi-day search and rescue operation" was conducted after investigators were tipped off that her white 1992 Ford F-250 was seen parked near a hiking trail in the area, eventually leading authorities to her body.

The woman's body was found under a tarp alongside the highway, according to KOIN, and was initially discovered by Lane-Fournier's friend, James Evans.

Evans told the outlet he initially thought the tarp was "trash" until he got closer to the crime scene. "As I bent over and came up, I seen a pair of boots connected to a leg," Evans told KOIN. "I directly dropped the tarp, backed up, gathered myself together, turned around and went to the lodge and had the office call 911 immediately. It was pretty heartbreaking."