03:35 PM PDT on Monday, October 25, 2004

By ANTONIA GIEDWOYN and JIM PARKER, kgw.com Staff

Police charged two people over the weekend with the murder of a Portland lawyer who went missing early last week, authorities said.

KGW

Douglas Swanson.

On Saturday, detectives charged 34-year-old Stuart E. Lueb and 22-year-old Lydia Marie Way with aggravated murder in the death of attorney Douglas Alan Swanson, said Sgt. Brian Schmautz with the Portland Police Bureau.

The pair, both from Portland, were being held in Multnomah County Jail. They were arraigned on the charges Monday afternoon.

A Portland police officer saw Lueb driving Swanson's car -- a 1997 dark green Subaru Outback wagon -- in the area of N. Albina Ave. and N. Humboldt St. on Wednesday after the missing person report was filed, Schmautz said.

KGW

Stuart E. Lueb listens to a public defender during his arraignment in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The officer stopped the car and took Lueb into custody. At that time he was charged with identity theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft. Police have not said what led them to Way.

Detectives said Swanson's car was used to drive him to the site where his body found.

Police traced calls from Swanson's cell phone and tracked the movement of his car after his disappearance. They found that the Subaru was driven to parts of north and northeast Portland, the 16000 block of SE 82nd Ave., and to the Mount Hood National Forest, approximately 16 miles east of Estacada near Fish Creek Rd.

Swanson's body was found Friday in the Mount Hood National Forest by Portland police detectives probing his disappearance. He was last seen in southeast Portland Tuesday at 7 p.m. after attending a school conference with his wife and 12-year-old son. The couple left in separate cars.

The lawyer never returned to his Irvington neighborhood that night, nor did he arrive at work the next morning.

KGW

Lydia Marie Way listens to the charges against her during her arraignment in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Swanson, 51, died of homicidal violence, according to Schmautz. An autopsy was performed, but Schmautz would not provide details about how or where Swanson died.

However, police said the death was not a random killing and evidence indicated Swanson agreed to meet with one or both suspects before he was killed.

"There is no reason to believe this was a stranger-to-stranger incident," Schmautz said. "The evidence suggests he agreed to have contact with one or more of the suspects, and at some point he died."

The older brother of suspect Lydia Way expressed his condolences for Swanson's family in a statement issued Sunday night.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the family of Douglas Swanson. What part, if any, Lydia may have played in the recently publicized events has not been established," the statement, issued in the name of the Way family, reads. "We ask for patience as justice takes its course, and pray for truth to be revealed."

kgw.com/police mugshots

Stuart E. Lueb and Lydia Marie Way.

Lydia Way's family told KGW she suffered from a problem with methamphetamine addiction but had been receiving help and was holding down a job. Former neighbors described her as a "troubled" young woman.

Authorities were trying to determine the nature of Swanson's relationship with his killers; Schmautz said there was no evidence that it was connected with Swanson's legal cases or his political involvement.

Police also said there was no indication that Swanson had any drug problems.

"At this point we have more questions than answers," Schmautz said.

kgw.com/police photo

Douglas Swanson's car.

Schmautz said that "red flags" were raised after Swanson missed appointments Wednesday morning at work. Police at that time termed his disappearance "suspicious."

"He was very good at keeping in contact with family and friends," Schmautz said.

In fact, Swanson was described by friends as a devoted family man and champion for the underdog.

"He loved soccer, loved kids, loved a strong community and understood the way you get a strong community is by helping out," said Jeremy Sarant, who coaches sixth grade boys in the Mt. Tabor Soccer Club.

KGW photo

A deputy's car blocks the Clackamas County logging road on the way to the area where a Portland lawyer's body was found.

Sarant said Swanson spent many years helping the team as well as coaching his own soccer club in the Irvington neighborhood.

A statement released by Swanson's family on Saturday reads: "The family and friends of Douglas Swanson wish to express their gratitude to the citizens of Portland and the state and local law enforcement for their hard work and the outpouring of heartfelt community support in this difficult time."

A memorial service for Swanson was scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Agnes Flanagan Chapel at Lewis and Clark College in southwest Portland.

Swanson was an alumnus of Lewis & Clark Law School and a partner in the law firm Swanson, Thomas & Coon. He handled personal injury and workers' compensation cases.

Detectives continued to ask that anyone who may have seen Swanson or his car after 6 p.m. on Oct. 19 call them at (503) 823-0768 or (503) 823-0255.

(KGW reporter Sam Louie and the AP contributed to this report.)