US chocolate maker and his wife are arrested in Dominica after millionaire Oscar-winning 3D animator and his partner were ‘ambushed by hitman’ and their bodies found in a burned car amid row about an access road
- Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand were found dead in their car on Friday
- Their neighbors Jonathan Lehrer and his wife are now being questioned by cops
- Langlois and Lehrer were previously involved in a row over the usage of a road
A US chocolate maker and his wife have been arrested in Dominica after a millionaire Oscar-winning 3D animator and his partner were allegedly ambushed by a hitman and their bodies found in a burned car.
Daniel Langlois, 66, and Dominique Marchand, both from Quebec, were found dead inside a charred vehicle near the eco-resort they owned in Dominica on Friday.
Langlois is known as the founder of Softimage, which created 3D animations software for movies like Jurassic Park, Men in Black and Star Wars.
The couple’s neighbors, Jonathan Lehrer, 57, and his wife, who own and operate chocolate makers Bois Collette Inc, are being questioned by police.
Langlois and Marchand, who ran the Coulibri Ridge Resort, were ‘ambushed’ by a hit man who killed them and then set their car on fire, Dominica police said.
Daniel Langlois, left, and Dominique Marchand, rightfrom Quebec, were found dead inside a charred vehicle near the eco-resort they owned on Dominica
The couple’s neighbors Jonathan Lehrer, seen here, and his wife, who own and operate chocolate makers Bois Collette Inc, are being questioned by police
Dominica police said the intense fire in the car made identifying the bodies impossible
In a statement on national radio, Dominica’s Minister of National Security Rayburn Blackmoore said: ‘There are four persons of interest, three foreigners and one Dominican national, in police custody.
‘This type of terrible and brutal crime cannot be ignored and we cannot allow those responsible to get away with it.
‘The government will provide investigators with everything they need to solve this crime.’
Langlois and Lehrer had been involved in a dispute over the usage of the Morne Rouge Public Road, which passes through the chocolatier’s estate.
The battle reached the island’s state highest court, which ruled in 2019 that the road was public and could be freely used by Langlois’ guests.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Dominica police for comment on this story.
In court documents from 2019 seen by DailyMail.com, Langlois accused Lehrer of causing interference with the unobstructed and free use of the public road’ for at least four years.
On one occasion Lehrer reportedly ‘blocked the road by placing boulders across the road, digging a trench across the said road, erecting metal pipes and placing equipment and supplies on the road denying the claimants and their employees access to their property’.
A local report from 2018 says a protest was staged on the road after ‘a land owner from Bois Cutlette’ blocked it.
Dominica News Online said: ‘The residents, most of whom are employees at Petite Coulibri, have been unable to pass safely to get to work, and decided to protest the action of the land owner.’
The Daniel Langlois Foundation confirmed on Monday that Langlous and Marchard died ‘in tragic circumstances’.
National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmor said: ‘Crimes like this do not only hurt international relations, but this crime in particular, has sent shock waves throughout the island and left the employees, families, and communities of the victims in mourning.’
Global Affairs Canada acknowledged the deaths of two Canadian citizens on the island but has not named them.
‘Canadian officials continue to monitor the situation closely, are engaging with local authorities and providing consular assistance. Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed,’ the office said.
Dominica police said the intense fire in the car made identifying the bodies impossible, and they are relying on ‘circumstantial evidence to connect them to the missing couple’.
A protest on the contested road between the two estates can be seen in this image from 2019
Dominica local Jacqueline Dupigny told DailyMail.com the Canadian couple was beloved in the island and would be greatly missed.
She said: ‘The sweetest foreigners to set foot on this island. They were exemplary stewards of the land around them and to their staff they treated them with so much respect.’
The entrepreneur sold his software company to Microsoft in 1994 for $200 million and went on to found the Daniel Langlois Foundation for the Art, Sciences and Technology.
In 1997, he received a scientific and technical Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In October 2022 he and Marchand opened a luxury, off-the-grid resort, Coulibri Ridge, on 200 acres of land on the island, which is located between Guadeloupe and Martinique.
They reportedly worked on the project for 20 years.
Langlois was beloved in Canada and Dominica, with many honoring him on social media following reports of his death.
Canada’s minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale St-Onge wrote: ‘Daniel Langlois, a visionary in digital technologies and cinema, has left us. His legacy reflects his innovative spirit. My thoughts are with his loved ones.’
The Quebec natives were dedicated to their sustainable project in Dominica
Travel writer Jim Byers wrote on X: ‘Shocked and devastated to hear the news of the deaths of Canadian businessman/visionary Daniel Langlois and his wife, Dominique Marchand. They built the incredible Coulibri Ridge resort on Dominica and had me for a tour and lunch in January. So sad.’
And fan Paul Chato added: ‘Daniel Langlois has been found dead . For those who are 3D animators, Langlois pioneered SoftImage 3D, the most advanced character animation software of its time. Reboot was produced with it as was the dinosaur in Jurassic Park. Sad.’
On November 3, the government of Dominica gave Langlois a ‘Meritorious Service Award for his contributions to sustainable development and research projects,’ as reported by Dominica News Online.
Langlois was a dual Canadian-Dominican citizen.
Speaking to Journal de Montreal (JDM), chocolate tycoon Lehrer’s father Robert, dismissed the notion that his son could be responsible.
‘Jonathan is a successful businessman, not a murderer. We are very close, and he is not a violent man at all. I have a hard time believing it,’ he said.
Dominica police said the intense fire in the car made identifying the bodies impossible, and they are relying on ‘circumstantial evidence to connect them to the missing couple.’
Calgary Sun reported that the Lehrers, a foreign national and a local man have all been taken in by police in connection with the deaths.
A spokesperson for the US Department of State told the BBC: ‘We are aware of reports of the arrest of a US citizen in Dominica.
‘Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time.’
In October 2022 the couple opened a luxury, off-the-grid resort, Coulibri Ridge, on 200 acres of land on the island
Langlois and Lehrer had been involved in a dispute over the usage of the Morne Rouge Public Road, which passes through the chocolatier’s estate.
The battle reached the island’s state highest court, which ruled in 2019 that the road was public and could be freely used by Langlois’ guests.
Robert also told JDM: ‘He was fed up with illegal crossings on his route, and it bothered him a lot, but it had been a while since I had any news.’
In court documents from 2019 seen by DailyMail.com, Langlois accused Lehrer of causing interference with the unobstructed and free use of the public road’ for at least four years.
On one occasion Lehrer reportedly ‘blocked the road by placing boulders across the road, digging a trench across the said road, erecting metal pipes and placing equipment and supplies on the road denying the claimants and their employees access to their property.’
A local report from 2018 says a protest was staged on the road after ‘a land owner from Bois Cutlette’ blocked it.
Dominica News Online said: ‘The residents, most of whom are employees at Petite Coulibri, have been unable to pass safely to get to work, and decided to protest the action of the land owner.’
The Daniel Langlois Foundation, said in a statement on Monday that the couple ‘died in tragic circumstances’ on 1 December.
The statement added: ‘In the coming weeks and months, details of the exact circumstances of their passing will be revealed as the Dominican police authorities and justice system proceed to the investigation.’
The foundation said Mr Langlois’ ‘stellar career left a profound influence on contemporary cinema’.
Langlois and Marchand played an important role in the community, according to Soufriere village politician Denise Charles-Pemberton, who told a state-owned radio channel: ‘These last few days have been incredibly heavy for our constituency.
‘To lose two members of our community, who have been at the heart of its development and its sense of spirit and togetherness is something that we have struggled to put into words.
‘Daniel and Dominique may be known for their world-renowned eco-resort in the village but to the people of the Soufriere constituency and to me, they were kind, loving and truly community oriented.’
On November 3, the government of Dominica gave Langlois a ‘Meritorious Service Award for his contributions to sustainable development and research projects,’ as reported by Dominica News Online.
DailyMail.com has approached police in Dominica for further comment on the case.
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