American chocolatier detained after millionaire’s homicide in Dominica
- Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand had been discovered useless of their automotive on Friday
- Their neighbors Jonathan Lehrer and his spouse at the moment are being questioned by cops
- Langlois and Lehrer had been beforehand concerned in a row over the utilization of a highway
An American couple are amongst 4 folks being questioned by cops after a millionaire software program developer and his associate had been killed within the Caribbean.
Daniel Langlois, 66, and Dominique Marchand, each from Quebec, had been discovered useless inside a charred automobile close to the eco-resort they owned on Dominica on Friday.
Langlois is called the founding father of Softimage, which created 3D animations software program for motion pictures like Jurassic Park, Men in Black and Star Wars.
The couple’s neighbors Jonathan Lehrer, 57, and his spouse, who personal and function chocolate makers Bois Collette Inc, are being questioned by police, in line with Radio-Canada. They haven’t been charged with any crimes.
Langlois and Marchand, who ran the Coulibri Ridge Resort, had been ‘ambushed’ by successful man who killed them after which set their automotive on hearth, Dominica police mentioned.
Langlois and Lehrer had been concerned in a dispute over the utilization of the Morne Rouge Public Road, which passes by means of the chocolatier’s property.
The battle reached the island’s state highest courtroom, which dominated in 2019 that the highway was public and could possibly be freely utilized by Langlois’ friends.
Daniel Langlois, 66, and his associate had been discovered useless after they went lacking on Friday
Langlois ran an eco-resort on the Caribbean island along with his associate Dominique Marchand
Dominica police mentioned the extreme hearth within the automotive made figuring out the our bodies unimaginable
DailyMail.com has reached out to Dominica police for touch upon this story.
In courtroom paperwork from 2019 seen by DailyMail.com, Langlois accused Lehrer of inflicting interference with the unobstructed and free use of the general public highway’ for a minimum of 4 years.
On one event Lehrer reportedly ‘blocked the highway by inserting boulders throughout the highway, digging a trench throughout the mentioned highway, erecting steel pipes and inserting tools and provides on the highway denying the claimants and their workers entry to their property.’
A neighborhood report from 2018 says a protest was staged on the highway after ‘a land proprietor from Bois Cutlette’ blocked it.
Dominica News Online mentioned: ‘The residents, most of whom are workers at Petite Coulibri, have been unable to move safely to get to work, and determined to protest the motion of the land proprietor.’
A protest on the contested highway between the 2 estates could be seen on this picture from 2019
The Daniel Langlois Foundation confirmed on Monday that Langlous and Blanchard died ‘in tragic circumstances.’
National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmor mentioned: ‘Crimes like this don’t solely harm worldwide relations, however this crime specifically, has despatched shock waves all through the island and left the staff, households, and communities of the victims in mourning.’
Global Affairs Canada acknowledged the deaths of two Canadian residents on the island however has not named them.
‘Canadian officers proceed to watch the state of affairs carefully, are partaking with native authorities and offering consular help. Due to privateness issues, no additional info could be disclosed,’ the workplace mentioned.
Dominica police mentioned the extreme hearth within the automotive made figuring out the our bodies unimaginable, and they’re counting on ‘circumstantial proof to attach them to the lacking couple.’
Dominica native Jacqueline Dupigny advised DailyMail.com the Canadian couple was beloved within the island and can be significantly missed.
She mentioned: ‘The sweetest foreigners to set foot on this island. They had been exemplary stewards of the land round them and to their workers they handled them with a lot respect.
The entrepreneur bought his software program firm to Microsoft in 1994 for $200 million and went on to discovered the Daniel Langlois Foundation for the Art, Sciences and Technology.
In October 2022 the couple opened a luxurious, off-the-grid resort, Coulibri Ridge, on 200 acres of land on the island
In October 2022 he and Marchand opened a luxurious, off-the-grid resort, Coulibri Ridge, on 200 acres of land on the island, which is positioned between Guadeloupe and Martinique.
They reportedly labored on the undertaking for 20 years.
Langlois was beloved in Canada and Dominica, with many honoring him on social media following studies of his dying.
Canada’s minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale St-Onge wrote: ‘Daniel Langlois, a visionary in digital applied sciences and cinema, has left us. His legacy displays his revolutionary spirit. My ideas are along with his family members.’
Travel author Jim Byers wrote on X: ‘Shocked and devastated to listen to the information of the deaths of Canadian businessman/visionary Daniel Langlois and his spouse, Dominique Marchand. They constructed the unimaginable Coulibri Ridge resort on Dominica and had me for a tour and lunch in January. So unhappy.’
And fan Paul Chato added: ‘Daniel Langlois has been discovered useless within the Dominican Republic. For those that are 3D animators, Langlois pioneered SoftImage 3D, probably the most superior character animation software program of its time. Reboot was produced with it as was the dinosaur in Jurassic Park. Sad.’
On November 3, the federal government of Dominica gave Langlois a ‘Meritorious Service Award for his contributions to sustainable improvement and analysis tasks,’ as reported by Dominica News Online.
Langlois was a twin Canadian-Dominican citizen.
