They Fought Over Road Access Before Brutal Double Murder

Two Americans have been found guilty of the 2023 murders of a Canadian special-effects pioneer and his wife in Dominica. An eight-person jury on Tuesday found businessman Jonathan Lehrer and his employee, mechanic Robert Snyder Jr., guilty in the slayings of Softimage founder and eco-resort owner Daniel Langlois and his partner, Dominique Marchand. The Quebec couple, known for philanthropy on the small Caribbean island, were discovered with gunshot wounds in their burned-out car near their resort, Coulibri Ridge, per the Montreal Gazette.

Prosecutors said a dispute over access to a public road linking Langlois' property and Lehrer's historic cocoa estate was at the heart of the case. Lehrer allegedly blocked the road several years ago, leading Langois to successfully sue for access. The trial, which began July 1 under a publication ban, relied on circumstantial evidence and testimony from 46 witnesses across multiple countries, per Rolling Stone. The jury took less than two hours to decide the verdict in the capital of Roseau, the CBC reports. Prosecutors opted not to seek the death penalty. Sentences have yet to be announced.