Bombshell update in murder of Canadian couple found in burnt-out car at their resort in Dominica
A US chocolatier charged with murdering a millionaire Canadian entrepreneur and his girlfriend in Dominica has been granted bail as he awaits trial.
Jonathan Lehrer, 58, is accused of killing Daniel Langlois, 66, and Dominique Marchand, both from Quebec, after they were found inside a charred vehicle near the eco-resort they owned on the Caribbean island.
High Court Justice Colin Williams granted Lehrer bail on Thursday after accusing prosecutors of delaying the legal process and misrepresenting evidence, according to CTV News.
'Based on the disclosed evidence, the strength appears to favor the Claimant (Lehrer),' Williams wrote in the ruling, which granted Lehrer's second attempt at securing bail.
'The Claimant (Lehrer) has successfully challenged the fundamental premises which informed the refusal of bail at the first sitting, that is, a timely hearing of the matter and the quality of the evidence against the claimant,' he continued.
Williams said police and prosecutors 'flagrantly disregarded' disclosure deadlines issued by the court, adding that if the trial had gone ahead on time it would already have wrapped up by now.
Lehrer's defense team added that prosecutors 'misled' the court by saying they had gathered 'overwhelming proof' against him including eyewitness evidence, per CTV.
'We believe that there is sufficient evidence to afford the charge and pursue the conviction of the suspects,' acting police chief of the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force Valerie Davidson said three months after the killings.
Canadian animation pioneer Daniel Langlois and his longtime partner Dominique Marchand were found dead inside their burned car days after they went missing
Jonathan Lehrer (pictured) is accused of killing Daniel Langlois , 66, and Dominique Marchand, both from Quebec, after they were found inside a charred vehicle in Dominica
'We will not relent until we bring these perpetrators to justice. We want to show our visitors that we care about them.'
Lehrer was charged with the murders along with the alleged hitman, Robert Snyder, another non-national last year.
He and his wife own and operate the chocolatier estate Bois Collette Inc, which sits next to Langlois' Coulibri Ridge resort.
Langlois and Marchand were 'ambushed' by a hit man who killed them and then set their car on fire, according to police, who believe the entrepreneur was murdered over a road dispute with Lehrer.
Langlois and Lehrer had been involved in a dispute over the usage of the Morne Rouge Public Road, which passes through the chocolatier's estate.
The battle reached the island's state highest court, which ruled in 2019 that the road was public and could be freely used by Langlois' guests.
In court documents from 2019 seen by DailyMail.com, Langlois accused Lehrer of causing interference with the unobstructed and free use of the public road for at least four years.
New Jersey native Jonathan Lehrer, 58 ((right) has been charged with the killings, along with alleged accomplice Robert Snider, from Florida (left)
The burnt vehicle. Langlois and Marchand were 'ambushed' by a hit man who killed them and then set their car on fire, according to police
A protest on the contested road between the two estates can be seen in this image from 2019
On one occasion Lehrer reportedly 'blocked the road by placing boulders across the road, digging a trench across the said road, erecting metal pipes and placing equipment and supplies on the road denying the claimants and their employees access to their property'.
A local report from 2018 says a protest was staged on the road after 'a land owner from Bois Cutlette' blocked it.
Dominica News Online said: 'The residents, most of whom are employees at Petite Coulibri, have been unable to pass safely to get to work, and decided to protest the action of the land owner.'
