Who is Jonathan Lehrer? American chocolate mogul arrested for murders of a Canadian animator and his partner

Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Snider appeared in court on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, for allegedly killing Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand. Lehrer is a known American chocolatier, while Langlois is an animator. Authorities discovered the couple's bodies in a burnt-out car on Friday, December 1.

CBC reported that, according to some local sources, Langlois and Marchand were ambushed and then killed before setting their vehicle on fire. BBC News reported that the couple and Lehrer had a dispute over a public road that went through Lehrer's property. Despite the charges, Jonathan Lehrer's father believes his son is innocent.

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American chocolatier Jonathan Lehrer, who had a dispute with the victims, has recently been charged with their murders

A horrific scene was uncovered on Friday last week when the bodies of Canadian animator Daniel Langlois and his partner, Dominique Marchand, were discovered in a car that was on fire. Authorities eventually confirmed that the vehicle belonged to the couple. The incident happened in Dominica, where the victims have resided since 1997. The couple also ran a luxury eco-resort that became functional in 2022.

The suspect, a well-known American chocolatier, Jonathan Lehrer, owned a property next to that eco-resort, Coulibri Ridge. It has been revealed that a dispute arose between Lehrer and Langlois regarding a public road within Lehrer's property. Police have allegedly arrested four people in the killings. However, only Lehrer and Robert Snider have been charged for now. It has not yet been confirmed if the other two will face any charges.

As mentioned before, the suspect's father doesn't believe that Lehrer is responsible for the tragic deaths.

He told Le Journal de Montreal, a French-Canadian newspaper,

"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."

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Langlois had sought a permanent injunction against Lehrer

While the suspect's father was aware of the dispute with Langlois, he claimed that he hadn't received any update in recent years. Langlois allegedly filed a case against the suspect in court, claiming that his actions had affected the resort. In 2019, Judge Bernie Stephenson ordered Jonathan Lehrer to open the public road and let the resort guests get access to it.

The judge added,

"This court reiterates its view that every effort should be made by the parties to mediate and settle this matter soonest."

Authorities spoke about the case and claimed that a hitman is also included in the case who executed the murders. Police looked into Langlois' business and career to better understand the case. They discovered that he was an animator and a director in Québec. He is also the founder of Softimage, a 3D animation software company.

BBC News reported that Softimage produced several movies, including Jurassic Park, The Matrix, and Titanic. The next court appearance for the suspects has been scheduled for March 2024.