ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

W5
W5

I travelled to Dominica to learn what happened to Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand

Share
SOUFRIERE, Dominica -

In December of 2023, I learned of the brutal murders of two beloved Montrealers, who were well known and admired in Quebec’s creative circles.

may not have been household names throughout Canada, but their achievements and projects received worldwide attention and recognition.

In the 1980s, Langlois created groundbreaking tools for animation and visual effects. He brought human emotion to the big screen through animated characters, as some of the tools he developed were used to create visual effects in films like "The Matrix" and "Jurassic Park."

His vision generated tremendous excitement for filmmakers and software companies. Langlois eventually sold his company, , in 1994 and went on to invest his US$130 million earnings into many creative and environmental endeavours.

He was awarded a Scientific and Technical Oscar and named to the .

W5 travels to Dominica to investigate the brutal murders of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand -- two beloved Montrealers who were well known and admired in Quebec’s creative circles (Source: Daniel Langlois Foundation)

In the days that followed their murders, I reported on the violent and tragic circumstances surrounding their deaths, though there were many questions left unanswered.

This prompted a CTV W5 investigation and ultimately my travel to the lush Caribbean island of Dominica in February 2024, with a producer and cameraman.

We arrived on a Sunday, marking the beginning of a Carnival celebration. Loud thumping music and people in colourful costumes dancing filled the streets as I made my way across the island, after a long flight, a stopover in Barbados and a drive from the airport along winding roads.

I was immediately struck by the rugged landscape and the sight of those who had come to visit, including divers, hikers and kayakers. The island truly is an adventure seekers’ paradise.

Everyone seemed to know something

When we started to ask people about the murder investigation and what happened to Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand, two things quickly became evident: one, everyone knew them and of their dream project, Coulibri Ridge, a sustainable eco-resort with 14 luxury suites in the volcanic hills above the southern coastal village of Soufriere; and two, everyone knew there had been a bitter feud over a public road that led to the resort.

Many of the details are found in a 2018 court case, in the wake of American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer’s efforts to block access on the road with boulders and a trench. Lehrer was frustrated that this public road passed right through his 18th century property. Langlois won that court case and access to his resort.

Everyone we encountered in Dominica, an island of just 70,000 people, seemed to know something, including the driver in our taxi, a hotel attendant, a dive shop owner, even someone who ran a guest house in Soufriere.

This is how we came to learn of a German tourist who had come to Dominica for a yoga and freediving retreat in November of 2023. He had been on a hike the day Langlois and Marchand disappeared: Nov. 30, 2023.

He agreed to speak to us by phone about his encounters, and told us that when he approached Lehrer’s property -- a sprawling heritage estate that used to be a cocoa and coffee plantation -- he was turned away. Thomas, whose full name we've withheld at his request, recounted the conversation. “He said I can't pass. This is private property. I have to go back,†he told CTV W5.

Genevieve Beauchemin speaks with Thomas by phone about what happened when he approached Lehrer’s property (CTV W5).

Thomas said he diverted and found another route, and it was from there that he heard gun shots.

“When I was covered by the trees, I heard shootings, so, like, twice or triple time, double shooting. So, like, from a pistol, or from a gun,†he said.

After he turned and tried to find a new hiking road altogether, he encountered a man who yelled and told him to leave again. Less than an hour later, he told me about what he saw and heard from the lower village of Soufriere: “I saw black smoke. I heard explosions, two explosions, very loud. So for me, it was like dynamite."

The bodies of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand were found in a burnt vehicle in December of 2023 (Source: St. Vincent Times)

The German tourist identified the man he last encountered was Robert Snyder Jr.

We learned Snyder had just arrived in Dominica two weeks before the murders and was staying with Jonathan Lehrer.

The two American men have now been charged in the murders.

Police photos of Jonathan Lehrer (left) and Robert Snyder Jr. (Supplied)

While investigating leads on the island we also learned of a local farmer who walked the public road between Lehrer’s property and the Coulibri Ridge resort.

We waited on the contentious road to see if Neville Henderson would speak to us at the end of his work day and he offered to share many of his own experiences.

Neville Henderson speaks with CTV W5 on the contentious road.

He told our producer, “it was a nightmare. It was a nightmare. It was a continual thing, mostly every day… they just didn't want anybody to pass on that particular road because they're thinking it's part of their property, but it was never a part of their property, it was a public road. “

He also told us that he warned police that passing on the road had become a terrifying ordeal and shared a video of one such incident involving the accused American’s wife, Victoria Lehrer.

We learned many more things on the island, seeking answers from local authorities and grasping the desperate hope by friends that there will be justice for Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand.

We also learned of the determination to keep their legacy alive, to carry on with their projects, including keeping Coulibri Ridge open to guests.

Watch W5's documentary 'The Millionaire Murders'  in our video player at the top of this article

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.

Canada

  • B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

  • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

  • Friends and strangers have set up a makeshift memorial outside the home of a five-year-old boy who was found dead yesterday in Coteau-du-lac.

  • The lawyer for a B.C. RCMP officer convicted of obstruction for telling a witness to delete cellphone video following the violent 2017 arrest of Dale Culver has requested a stay of proceedings.

  • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

World

Politics

Health

Sci-Tech

Entertainment

  • Lawyers representing the producers of 'Russians at War' say they may pursue legal action against Ontario's public broadcaster for pulling support for the controversial documentary amid outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.

  • Viewers of Jeopardy got a chance to test their knowledge of trivia about B.C.'s biggest city Wednesday night.

Business

Lifestyle

  • Only one Toronto restaurant earned a Michelin star this year, but it is not a first for the chef who brought the establishment to stardom.

  • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Sports

  • Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he's been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season's playoffs.

  • Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette returned to the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a right middle finger fracture.

Autos

  • Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.

  • The plant was expected to produce batteries for a million electric vehicles a year. Once up and running, it was supposed to create hundreds of permanent jobs in a small southeastern Ontario municipality. But two years later, spending on the construction of the Umicore plant has been delayed in what the company calls a "significant worsening of the EV market context."

  • A Winnipeg man is asking for help after a classic car that has been a part of his family since the 1950s was stolen from his garage.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.

  • B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

  • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

  • The 'Namgis First Nation says a fish farm it owns near Port McNeill shows the potential of land-based aquaculture in B.C.

  • Toronto police are asking for the public's help in identifying one of the suspected shooters in Tuesday's fatal double shooting in North York.

  • A pedestrian has been seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle in North York.

  • Students across York Region will once again see uniformed officers at school, however police and board officials say they will only be stopping by for the occasional safety presentation.

  • We've produced a special webcast edition of CTV News Calgary for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.

  • The Parole Board of Canada says a man who assaulted a young pregnant woman and left her for dead remains too dangerous to be released into the community.

  • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

  • Police say a man who was taken to hospital in critical condition after being shot Thursday night has died.

  • A byelection was called for the Bay of Quinte riding less than a week after Progressive Conservative MPP Todd Smith, Ontario's education minister at the time, resigned his seat in August.

  • Customers are in the dark about the sudden closure of the Upper Room Furniture stores. The company has filed papers under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. It’s not known whether orders placed and paid for will be honoured.

  • Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.

  • A harrowing video has been presented to a jury at the trial of three men facing first-degree murder charges.

  • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

  • Five bison are dead at Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton following an early Thursday morning collision.

  • An Edmonton man who is charged with sexually assaulting a teen boy is a member of the Alberta sheriffs, CTV News Edmonton has confirmed.

  • The mayor of Fort Saskatchewan apologized on Thursday for comments she made earlier this week about killing feral cats.

  • New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has called for a provincial election. Voters will go to the polls on Oct. 21, as prescribed by the province's fixed-date election law.

  • Police are asking people to avoid the Dartmouth Commons area in Dartmouth, N.S., as they assist with a wildlife call for a bear.

  • An 83-year-old man is facing sexual interference charges following a Nova Scotia RCMP investigation.

  • Manitobans are continuing to mop up after a deluge of rain hit southern Manitoba earlier in the week.

  • Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

  • A Winnipeg pet rescue is putting out a warning to dog owners across the city about a possible parvovirus in the province.

  • A social media post of purple apples “growing†in Saskatchewan has sparked a lot of attention. However, garden experts say there's no such thing.

  • A case involving stolen funds from a Saskatchewan business being used to purchase cryptocurrency will be heading back to the courts, thanks to a new decision by Saskatchewan's Court of Appeal.

  • Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has confirmed a tornado touched down Wednesday evening near Langbank, Sask.

  • Amber and Adam Brueckner have a pool-shaped hole in their backyard – and their wallets.

  • New details have been shared about a missing family that was last seen on Sept. 1 in Kitchener, Ont.

  • Police are trying to identify a man who approached a woman and child in Wellesley.

  • A gym teacher at a private Christian school in Saskatoon has been charged. Terra MacEwan, 44, is charged with assault with a weapon. A Saskatoon mother who spoke with CTV News says her autistic son was MacEwan's victim.

  • Thomas Hamp says he believed secret police were out to kidnap, torture, and kill him when he fatally stabbed his girlfriend Emily Sanche in February of 2022.

  • A social media post of purple apples “growing†in Saskatchewan has sparked a lot of attention. However, garden experts say there's no such thing.

  • They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

  • As northern Ontario gets ready to welcome autumn this weekend, it’s still feeling a lot like summer as provincial forest fire crews continue to battle blazes.

  • James Bay Ontario Provincial Police have charged four commercial vehicle drivers with impaired, including one who was hauling 36,000 kilograms of ammonia hydrate.

  • A Woodstock homeowner says she’s at her wit’s end over a homeless encampment situated alongside her backyard. She’s calling on the city to do more to help those living rough, so she can live in peace.

  • Police were focusing their attention on the northeast corner of Richmond and Horton, with members of the emergency response unit taking up positions at the scene.

  • A union representative says someone driving a pick-up truck with heavily tinted windows rammed a member on Western Road, near Elborn College.

  • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

  • A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

  • A 32-year-old man is facing charges after police say his vehicle struck a child in an Owen Sound intersection.

  • The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has seized over $56,000 in drugs and have arrested one suspect.

  • SERVEONE Canada, a global procurement solution company, has begun Canadian operations in Tecumseh.

  • Enrolment may be down at St. Clair College, but President Mike Silvaggi isn’t bothered.

  • In a rare move, the Greater Victoria School District Board of Education has been slapped with a ministerial order from the province requiring it to update a student safety plan – drawing concern around political posturing leading up to an election.

  • The Union of B.C. Municipalities is asking the provincial government to make transit free for teenagers.

  • To appreciate why Mimi Vandermolen is so pleased to notice one particular vehicle she’s walking past, you need to know that seeing this many cars in one place would have been unimaginable when she was growing-up in the post-war Netherlands.

  • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

  • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

  • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

  • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

  • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

  • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

  • A new community health profile in the Algoma District shows the area is significantly below provincial averages in a number of health metrics.

  • North Bay Police Service says one person has died following an industrial accident at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission Rail Yard on Tuesday.

  • Three northern Ontario residents are charged with drug trafficking after the vehicle they were in got stuck along a bush road off Highway 17 on Monday.

N.L.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

Stay Connected
Follow CTV News