An American chocolatier accused of murdering a millionaire Canadian entrepreneur and his girlfriend in Dominica has been granted bail pending trial.
Jonathan Lehrer, 58, is accused of killing Daniel Langlois, 66, and Dominique Marchand, both from Quebec, after they were found in a charred vehicle near the eco-resort they owned on the Caribbean island.
Superior Court Judge 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 evidence disclosed, the force appears to be in favor of plaintiff (Lehrer),” Williams wrote in the ruling, which granted Lehrer’s second attempt to secure bail.
“The plaintiff (Lehrer) successfully challenged the fundamental principles underlying the denial of bail at the initial hearing, i.e., a timely hearing in the case and the quality of the evidence against the plaintiff,” he continued.
Williams said police and prosecutors “blatantly ignored” court-imposed deadlines for disclosure, adding that if the trial had proceeded on time it would have been completed by now.
Lehrer’s defense team added that prosecutors “misled” the court by saying they had gathered “overwhelming evidence” against him, including eyewitness accounts, according to CTV.
“We believe there is sufficient evidence to sustain the charges and proceed with the conviction of the suspects,” acting Commonwealth of Dominica Police Chief Valerie Davidson said three months after the killings.
Canadian animation pioneer Daniel Langlois and his longtime partner Dominique Marchand were found dead in their burnt-out car days after going missing
Jonathan Lehrer (pictured) is accused of killing Daniel Langlois, 66, and Dominique Marchand, both from Quebec, after they were found in 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, also a non-national last year.
He and his wife own and operate the Bois Collette Inc chocolate estate, which is located next to the Coulibri Ridge resort in Langlois.
Langlois and Marchand were “ambushed” by a hitman who killed them and then set their car on fire, according to police, who believe the entrepreneur was killed over a traffic dispute with Lehrer.
Langlois and Lehrer were involved in a dispute over the use of the Morne Rouge public road, which runs through the chocolatier’s estate.
The battle reached the island’s highest court, which ruled in 2019 that the road was public and could be used freely by Langlois’ guests.
In 2019 court documents seen by DailyMail.com, Langlois accused Lehrer of interfering with the unfettered and free use of public roads for at least four years.
New Jersey native Jonathan Lehrer, 58 ((right) has been charged with the murders, along with alleged accomplice Robert Snider, of Florida (left)
The burned vehicle. Langlois and Marchand were ‘ambushed’ by a hitman who killed them and then set their car on fire, according to police
A protest on the disputed road between the two estates can be seen in this 2019 image
On one occasion, Lehrer allegedly “blocked the road by placing boulders across the road, digging a ditch across the road, erecting metal pipes, and placing equipment and supplies on the road, thereby the claimants and their employees were denied access to their property’.
According to a 2018 local report, a protest took place on the road after “a landowner from Bois Cutlette” blocked it.
Dominica News Online said: “The residents, most of whom are employees at Petite Coulibri, could not safely go to work and decided to protest against the landowner’s action.”