Prosecutor details evidence behind convictions in murders of Quebec couple

MONTREAL – After no eyewitnesses to the killings could be found, prosecutors relied on evidence gathered across several countries to build the case against two American men convicted of murdering Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his partner, Dominique Marchand, in Dominica.

Special prosecutor Keith Scotland said the month-long trial involved 46 witnesses and evidence ranging from ballistics and DNA to phone records, as prosecutors sought to reconstruct what happened to the Quebec couple in December 2023.

A jury convicted Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Thomas Snyder Jr. on July 28 after deliberating for about two hours. Langlois and Marchand had been found dead inside their burned vehicle near the luxury eco-resort they owned on the Caribbean island.

Scotland told The Canadian Press the complexity of the case required prosecutors to carefully piece together what happened.

“We had to be very cautious and very meticulous to present all the evidence that showed the full picture,” he said in a phone interview, describing the case as “very, very complicated, complex, difficult.”

An autopsy determined Langlois died from multiple gunshot wounds. “We were able to determine (the cause of death) even though the bodies were burned beyond recognition,” said Scotland.

He also said a ballistics report suggested that the bullets that killed Langlois “may have been fired from a barrel that was fitted into the gun that was owned by Jonathan Lehrer.”

“Although we had no eyewitness, that was very strong circumstantial evidence that tied them to the case,” Scotland said.

Witness testimony also helped prosecutors establish the accused’s movements around the time of the killings. Scotland said Norville Williams, who worked at Lehrer’s Bois Cotlette cocoa estate, placed Snyder in the area where gunshots were heard.

Another witness, a German hiker, later saw Snyder coming down a road near where the couple’s vehicle was eventually found. Scotland said that encounter occurred about six minutes before an explosion was heard in the area.

“When you tie them in both, you have a very tight rope of circumstantial evidence,” Scotland said.

Scotland said the evidence allowed prosecutors to piece together what they believe happened to Langlois and Marchand. 

He said the prosecution argued in court that the couple had gone to collect food by car and were returning through Bois Cotlette when they were “ambushed and shot.”

Prosecutors argued the couple’s vehicle was driven to a nearby mountain road with their bodies inside, and then set on fire and driven off a cliff. Scotland said the vehicle was stopped by two trees, allowing investigators to recover it the following day.

The investigation extended far beyond Dominica. Scotland said prosecutors relied on phone records from St. Lucia, ballistics evidence from Barbados and DNA evidence from Jamaica. 

At least four witnesses had to be brought to Dominica from abroad, while Williams testified by video from France. Scotland said a ballistics expert came from Barbados and another witness travelled from Germany.

“It took a lot of resources,” Scotland said.

Langlois was a pioneer in digital animation who founded Montreal-based Softimage, whose technology was used to create special effects for major Hollywood films. He and Marchand had lived for years in Dominica, where they opened Coulibri Ridge in 2022 and supported community projects on the island.

Lehrer, an American property owner and chocolate producer, had been involved in a years-long legal dispute with Langlois over access to a public road crossing his property and leading to the couple’s resort.

The case attracted significant attention in Dominica, where Langlois and Marchand were known for their contributions to the community. Scotland said residents of Soufrière, a village near the couple’s resort, gathered outside the courthouse following the verdict.

Lehrer and Snyder have appealed their convictions. Scotland said a sentencing hearing is expected sometime in early September.

Asked what he made of the jury reaching its verdict after about two hours of deliberations, Scotland declined to draw conclusions from the speed of the decision.

“We presented the evidence before the jury,” he said. “All I can tell is the prosecution did its best.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026.