American Millionaire Charged in Brutal Murders of Canadian Tycoon and His Partner in Dominica Denied Bail

By Jace Dela Cruz

Apr 19, 2024 06:56 AM EDT

American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, charged in the brutal murders of a wealthy Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail. 

American Millionaire Jonathan Lehrer Charged in the Brutal Killings of Canadian Couple in Dominica 

Jonathan Lehrer is one of two men charged in the killings of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand. Since Lehrer's request for bail earlier this month was junked, CTV News Montreal reported that the American millionaire would remain behind bars at least until a preliminary hearing scheduled for June. 

The same scenario applies to his co-accused, Robert Snider Jr. The two Americans were charged with murder after the bodies of Langlois and Marchand were found in a burnt-out car on the Caribbean island last December.

Before they were incinerated, the Canadian couple had been shot to death. Local police discovered the bodies of the couple in the island's Soufriere area after they had been reported missing.

Langlois, a well-known businessman from Canada's province of Quebec, founded the animation software firm Softimage, which is used in many blockbuster films such as Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and The Matrix. 

He also owned Coulibri Ridge, an eco-resort in Dominica, and lived there with his partner since 1997. Langlois and Marchand were well known on the island for helping Dominica recover from Hurricane Maria in 2017. 

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Millionaire
A picture taken on December 19, 2023 shows a burned car found after a man was shot dead at the Isolella commercial area in Porticcio on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.
(Photo : AFP via Getty Images)

Alleged Motive of American Millionaire Jonathan Lehrer For Murdering the Canadian Couple

According to the court documents, Jonathan Lehrer, a chocolate maker originally from New Jersey, had been involved in a years-long disagreement over the use of a road leading to the couple's resort.

According to BBC, Lehrer owned a 53-acre property next to the couple's 200-acre resort located on the Bois Cotlette Estate. Court documents showed that the American millionaire had been in a dispute with the couple over the use of a public road that intersected with his property.

He had allegedly blocked it by placing boulders on it and digging a trench, prompting Daniel Langlois to file legal action against him. In 2019, a High Court judge ruled in favor of Langlois, ordering Lehrer to open up the road to public use and grant Langlois' guests unrestricted access.

Lehrer's father expressed disbelief in his son's involvement in the crime and said his son was innocent. He previously told the French-Canadian newspaper, Le Journal de Montreal, that "Jonathan is a successful businessman, not a murderer. We are very close and he is not a violent man at all."

READ MORE: Chinese Businessman Sentenced to Death by Hanging for Killing His Nigerian Girlfriend Who Was Trying to Leave Him

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