Two Americans convicted of murdering Canadian couple in Dominica
Daniel Langlois, whose animation software was used in numerous blockbuster films, was found dead in a burnt-out car with his partner in late 2023.
In the Caribbean island nation of Dominica, two American men have been convicted of the murders of a Canadian entrepreneur and his partner.
Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Snyder Jr. were found guilty of killing Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand, a Quebecois couple. Their bodies were discovered in a burned-out vehicle in late 2023, following a police search initiated after they were reported missing. Lehrer and Snyder Jr. had entered not guilty pleas to the murder charges after their arrests shortly after the killings.
Daniel Langlois, the visionary behind the animation software company Softimage, whose innovations were utilized in major films such as *The Matrix* and *Titanic*, had resided in Dominica with his partner since 1997. The couple was recognized for their philanthropic efforts on the island, supporting various development projects and having recently opened a luxury hotel prior to their deaths.
In late 2023, on the same day the bodies were located, three foreign nationals and one Dominican citizen were apprehended. Days later, Lehrer and Snyder Jr., described in reports as Lehrer's "accomplice," were officially charged with the couple's murders.
Lehrer, a chocolate maker originally from New Jersey, owned land adjacent to a 200-acre luxury resort belonging to Langlois and Marchand in Dominica. He and Langlois had been embroiled in a protracted disagreement concerning access to a road connecting their properties. In 2019, a court ordered Lehrer to make the road accessible to the public and to grant unrestricted access to guests of Langlois's resort.
In 2024, a spokesperson for Lehrer informed the Canadian newspaper the *Toronto Star* that the "narrative that's being built that Jonathan was potentially moved to violence" due to the road dispute was "completely inaccurate."
A sentencing date for Lehrer and Snyder Jr. has not yet been announced. The BBC has reached out to Lehrer's legal representatives for comment.