Jonathan Lehrer, this American suspected of being behind the murders of Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his partner Dominique Marchand on the island of Dominica last December, broke his silence for the very first time on Thursday.
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The accused, still behind bars in Dominica awaiting further legal proceedings, granted an indirect interview to Toronto Star via his lawyers and a public relations firm.
Mr. Lehrer criticized the portrait that was painted of him in the media. While many reports have reported at length on the generosity of the Quebec couple who operated the Coulibri Ridge hotel complex in Dominica, several others have painted a more worrying portrait of Jonathan Lehrer, owner of the Bois Cotlette chocolate factory, next to the hotel.
The two men became embroiled in a years-long dispute over the use of the Morne Rouge public road, which passes through the chocolate factory to get to the hotel.
“There is a scenario that has been constructed according to which Jonathan took refuge in violence because he was furious at having lost the legal battle over the use of the road, and that is completely inaccurate” , said Nicolia Wiles, president of the public relations firm PRIME PR, hired by Lehrer’s wife, Victoria, to clear his name.
Citizens also told the QMI Agency and other media in December that they feared Jonathan Lehrer for his aggressive behavior.
However, in the eyes of the main interested party, the stories reported by the media were carefully chosen to paint his portrait, for example by drawing on negative comments left on the TripAdvisor page of his chocolate factory.
“There are many, many more comments from very happy people who demonstrate how they loved Bois Cotlette,” Mr. Lehrer gave as an example to Star.
The alleged murderer did not discuss the accusations against him or answer questions about his relationship with Daniel Langlois, under the pretext that the police investigation is still ongoing in this case.
Entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his wife were ambushed by a hitman, who killed them before setting their car on fire, according to Dominica police.