Body of missing forester discovered in Lake Coeur d’Alene
Sixteen days after he was reported to have disappeared in Lake Coeur d’Alene, authorities believe they have recovered the body of retired forester Larry Isenberg.
Responding to a 911 call Thursday afternoon, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office personnel discovered what they believe to be Isenberg’s body in the water at Sun-Up Bay near Worley, the sheriff’s office said.
Isenberg’s wife, Lori Isenberg, told the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office that her husband fell into the frigid waters of Powderhorn Bay near Harrison the morning of Feb. 13 while attempting to fix their boat’s motor.
Official identification will follow an autopsy, which will be conducted by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office in conjunction with the Kootenai County Coroner’s Office, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
Lori Isenberg, who was arrested Monday for allegedly embezzling nearly $500,000 from her former employer, said she looked for her husband for “maybe two hours” before calling for help, because she was stuck on the boat and couldn’t get to a phone.
Just hours before the couple reportedly took their boat out on the water, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported Lori Isenberg and the North Idaho Housing Coalition severed ties and an audit was in the works.
According to court documents stemming from Monday’s arrest, Lori Isenberg, NIHC’s former director, was fired from the nonprofit on Jan. 26 for allegedly committing numerous crimes, including forging checks, suspected money laundering, and using company funds to buy personal items.
On Feb. 14, a day after Larry Isenberg’s disappearance, Lori Isenberg wrote an email to NIHC board members, according to a police report. In that email, police said, Isenberg said she “needed to be punished” for what she did and would cooperate with NIHC after Larry Isenberg’s funeral.
Four days later, according to a police report, a witness reported seeing items being moved from the Isenbergs’ home and that Lori Isenberg talked of selling the home “as fast as possible.”
A week after the search of the lake, Lori Isenberg wrote an email to friends, which was later obtained by The Spokesman-Review. In that email, she shares her detailed account of what happened to her husband.
Larry Isenberg, a University of Idaho graduate, spent 36 years in the forestry business and held jobs from field forester to high-level corporate management, according to Idaho Conservation Network.