Authorities in Dominica are investigating the killings of a wealthy Canadian businessman and his partner who owned an eco-resort in the eastern Caribbean island.
Two men have been arrested and charged in the slaying of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand, officials announced at a press conference Thursday.
The two men arrested were identified as Jonathan Lehrer, an American businessman who owns Bois Cotlette Estate and Robert Snider Jr., said police inspector Fixton Henderson told NBC News.
A third person from Dominica was arrested but not charged, police spokesman Jeoffrey James said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
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“The work of the team has not ceased,” he said. “We are devoted to having justice served in this matter.”
Authorities in Dominica said they have requested independent investigators to help with the probe and the DNA and forensic analysis of evidence gathered and have been in touch with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Police in Canada said they're aware of the investigation in Dominica and that it works closely with its international partners. However, they said in a statement that they do not comment on specific criminal investigations in foreign jurisdictions.
U.S. & World
The two men charged in the case appeared in court Wednesday but were not required to enter a plea, said Sherma Dalrymple, Dominica’s director of public prosecutions. They remain in jail and will appear in court in March, she said.
The victims' bodies were found last week in a car that had caught fire, according to police, who have not identified a motive.
Langlois, a Canadian citizen, founded Softimage, a company that created a 3D image software used in movies like "Jurassic Park," "Titanic," "Men in Black" and "The Matrix," according to an obituary posted by his foundation.
Local media, citing court documents, said one of the men charged had been involved in a years-long dispute over use of a road leading to the couple’s eco-resort.
