ROSEAU, Dominica, Nov 5, CMC – High Court Judge Sejilla McDowall has set November 23 for the sentencing of Americans Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Thomas Snider Jr., who were convicted of murdering Canadian businessman Daniel Langlois and his partner, Dominique Marchand.
A nine-member jury found both men guilty on July 28, 2026, of killing the couple, whose charred remains were discovered in a burnt-out vehicle near Gallion, in the south of the island, on December 1, 2023.
Both have continued to maintain their innocence.
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Acute Psychiatric Unit, Dr Nadia Wallace, told the court that having clinically examined both men, she concluded that they were “mentally fit for sentencing”.
“They have no mental, neurocognitive, or psychotic disorders,” she said.
Lawyers on both sides accepted her findings.
Probation reports presented to the court outlined the men’s continued denial of responsibility for the killings.
According to the probation report on Snider, he insists that he did not know the victims and had no reason to harm them. He also expressed shock at the jury’s guilty verdict and said the case weighed heavily on his mind.
“He did not express remorse since he maintains his innocence,” the probation officer told the court.
She added that Snider described prison conditions as “horrific” but said friendships with other inmates have helped him cope.
Lehrer, meanwhile, reportedly expressed sadness over the incident but denied killing Langlois and Marchand or hiring Snider to carry out the killings.
“He maintained that he did not kill Dominique and Daniel and also refuted the allegations that he hired Robert Snider to act as the hitman. He said that he was not responsible for the deaths,” the probation officer told the court.
She added that Lehrer expressed sympathy for the victims’ family and maintained that he was innocent, adding that he “feels saddened by the circumstances, particularly since no one will fully understand what happened or will be able to move forward from the matter”.
“He also expressed his love for his family and would never do anything that would take him away from them,” the probation officer added.
Langlois and Marchand had been living in Dominica since 1997. They owned a 200-acre luxury eco-resort. Lehrer owned a 53-acre property adjoining the couple’s estate.
The parties had been involved in a dispute over the use of a public road crossing Lehrer’s property. According to court documents, Lehrer had allegedly obstructed the road by placing boulders on it and digging a trench.
CMC/cj/ed/2026