Burned car in the southern village of Gallion, Dominica, where the charred remains of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand were discovered, according to local authorities.
Last week, local authorities in Dominica announced that two U.S. nationals were formally charged in connection with the killing of Daniel Langlois, an innovator in the field of animation and a philanthropist from Quebec, Canada and his partner, Dominique Marchand.
A Dominica police representative confirmed to AFP that American citizens Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Snider are facing murder charges and have been detained.
The island was rocked by scandal after the bodies of the hoteliers were found on Dec 1st burned in a car in the southern village of Gallion. They had been reported missing days before their charred remains were found.
Days later, chocolate maker Lehrer and Snider were charged with the couple's murder.
While local police have not suggested a motive for the murders, Consortium journalists understand that the couple and Mr. Lehrer had been feuding for years over a road leading to Coulibri Ridge, the sprawling eco-resort owned by Mr. Langlois and Ms. Marchand. Mr. Lehrer's property sits next to Coulibri Ridge.
Before becoming a hotelier, the Oscar-winning Mr. Langlois founded animation company Softimage, developing software that was used in major Hollywood motion pictures including The Matrix and Jurassic Park. He sold Softimage to Microsoft in 1994.
Dominica's state tourism agency, Discover Dominica Authority, issued a statement on Friday expressing deep sadness at the deaths of Mr. Langlois and Ms. Marchand. "Their loss leaves an irreplaceable void not only in our lives but also within the hearts of everyone in Dominica and the global sustainable tourism community."
The authority nevertheless offered reassurances to travelers. "Despite this occurrence, Dominica remains a safe place to live, work, and visit."
Dominican law enforcement officials have indicated that they have alerted their Canadian counterparts on the matter, and have requested independent investigators to assist.
