Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Murder at Mount Hood’ of CBS’ ’48 Hours,’ the tragic killing of a 61-year-old hiking aficionado and mother of two named Susan “Phoenix” Lane in Welches, Oregon, is covered through in-depth interviews with her family and friends, including her two sons — Jesse and Dakota Lane — and her brother, Mike Lane. When the news of her disappearance and death broke out, her loved ones’ worst nightmare became reality. As the police investigated the case, they uncovered shocking details about her marriage to Michael Fournier.
Susan Lane’s Family Knew About Her Troubled Marriage to Michael Fournier
Susan “Phoenix” Lane-Fournier married Michael Fournier in 2012 after moving to Oregon with her two sons, Jesse Lane and Dakota “Kota” Lane, from her previous relationship. Besides being a doting mother, Susan also shared a close-knit bond with her brother, Mike Lane. Over the years, Susan and Michael’s marriage deteriorated to the point that she reportedly filed for divorce in November 2024. Just a couple of weeks later, she vanished from her Brightwood, Oregon, home, after which a search and rescue operation was launched by the authorities. Several days into the search, on November 27, 2024, Dakota Lane told KATU, “It’s better to assume and not act than assume and act, and we’re just trying to remain calm, stoic, and hope for the best.”
Two days later, on November 29, 2024, Susan’s two sons, Dakota and Jesse, and her brother, Mike, learned that her remains had been found within 400 yards of her house, near the Mount Hood National Forest. Her husband of 12 years, Michael Fournier, was arrested and charged with her murder. According to investigative reports, he also confessed to killing Susan’s two dogs by strangling them and disposing of them in Multnomah County. A few days later, during a vigil, her two adult sons opened up about their mother. Jesse Lane shared how she got her nickname “Phoenix” after the death of her late first husband in a car accident. Jesse added, “I remember her collapsing on the ground. I remember it shaking her to the core. I remember her now being a single mom trying to take care of two kids.”
Susan Lane’s Family Attended the Eight-Day Trial of Michael Fournier
About a year after Susan Lane’s passing, her son, Dakota “Kota” Lane, continued to live in the same Brightwood home where she had lived with Michael Fournier. He reportedly filed a motion seeking permission to remove Michael’s belongings from the property, but it was denied because the case was still active. Besides the legal costs for the motion, Dakota had also been paying the mortgage and utility bills. So, a GoFundMe page was created to help him stay afloat in a tough situation. The page stated, “We are forever grateful for everyone who has come together to support Kota and honor Phoenix, we cannot express that enough. But if you can, we would love to have any additional donations to send to Kota that may help ease the burden for settling into this new normal.” The following year, on February 24, 2026, Michael’s murder trial got underway.
Susan’s two sons and her brother attended the 8-day trial. Jess Lane took the stand and testified, “For me, we lost our dad in a car accident, so I always considered it a blessing that someone would provide for our family.” He claimed that he came across the .22-caliber firearm that killed his mother, stating, “I thought this is a good thing not to lose, and I picked it up and realized it wasn’t a good idea to pick up, and I put it back down.” On March 5, 2026, after Michael was convicted of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years, Susan’s brother, Mike Lane, opined outside the courthouse that Michael’s alleged motive for killing Susan was because he wanted control of her property and was scared to lose everything in the divorce.
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