4 in custody after 'brutal' death of Quebec entrepreneur, partner in Dominica

4 detained in Daniel Langlois, partner’s death Four people have been detained following the deaths of Que. entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his partner Dominique Marchand

Four people are in police custody after Quebec businessman Daniel Langlois and his partner Dominique Marchand were found dead in the Caribbean nation of Dominica on Friday.

"A number of people have been taken into custody," confirmed Dominica Minister of Justice, Immigration and National Security Rayburn Blackmoore. "Three non-nationals and one national are in police custody."

One of them is Jonathan Lehrer, the owner of a nearby resort. He and Langlois were engaged in a legal dispute in 2019 regarding a stretch of road, which provides access to both resorts.

The Daniel Langlois Foundation confirmed the two deaths, saying the founder of film software company Softimage and his partner died "in tragic circumstances'' near the resort they owned.

Local news outlet Dominica News Online first reported that their remains were found in a burned-out vehicle.

"This type of terrible crime and the brutality in this crime is something we cannot ignore," said Blackmoore. "We cannot allow those responsible to go unpunished."

Langlois and Marchand co-operated Coulibri Ridge, a luxury off-grid resort on the island.

Langlois is well-known in Quebec's media industry as the founder of Softimage, a digital effects program used on many blockbuster films including Jurassic Park, The Matrix and Harry Potter.

On social media, Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge described Langlois as a "visionary in digital technologies and cinema," saying he is "leaving a lasting impact on generations."