The youngest of the Langlois family maintains that the Coulibri Ridge Resort hotel was only closed “for 24 hours”, while he and the hotel employees found access to the reservation system of the establishment with twelve suites.
“My brother was very secretive, and it was his partner, Dominique, who took care of all the administration. So, it was quite complex to access the system and the passwords, we were in panic mode for a moment,” explains Normand Langlois, who arrived on site shortly after the sad events.
Quebec businessman and philanthropist Daniel Langlois opened this luxurious, almost self-sufficient hotel in 2022 on the island of Dominica, in the West Indies. In December 2023, he and his partner died in tragic circumstances. Their bodies were found in a burned vehicle.
Jonathan Lehrer, a neighbor of the hotel, and his friend Robert Thomas Snider, were charged in connection with the murders, and remain behind bars awaiting trial.
Currently on site in Dominica, Normand Langlois is taking care of his brother’s succession and the continuation of the hotel, he indicates in an interview with Soleil.
An aborted retirement
Daniel Langlois’ younger brother was very involved in the businessman’s dream project, which took nearly 25 years to complete. In 2005, Normand Langlois moved to Dominica to participate in the Coulibri Ridge Resort project.
“I was in Dominica for 17 years, so I was the perfect person to come there and take care of Daniel’s estate.”
— Normand Langlois, brother of businessman Daniel Langlois
However, the latter had planned to retire in 2022, but the tragic events surrounding the death of his brother and his partner, Dominique Marchand, thwarted his plans.
Quebec entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Langlois died in tragic circumstances in December 2023. (Archives, La Presse)
“There are still around forty employees working here, so there were also jobs at stake. Within two days, we made the decision that it had to continue, and we are not giving up” , argues Normand Langlois.
The two other brothers of the Langlois family, for their part, took care of Daniel’s estate in Quebec. A judgment declaring Daniel’s death was issued by a judge, which allowed the family to proceed with the liquidation of the numerous assets owned by the businessman in Montreal.
No death certificate
On the Dominica side, however, the succession work is “far from finished”, underlines Normand Langlois. Almost a year after the death of his brother and his partner, no death certificate has yet been issued by the Dominican authorities.
“There were preliminary DNA results, they were supposed to be returned to the defense, but it was postponed until November. Because Dominica is not equipped for that: DNA tests are done in Saint Lucia, ballistic tests are done in Barbados, it goes like that. Even our lawyer here has a hard time keeping up with everything,” explains Normand Langlois.
Since the succession is not close to being formalized, Daniel Langlois’ philanthropic foundation is “on pause”, as are the current projects.
The Daniel Langlois Foundation had, among other things, launched a coral protection initiative via its REZDM program. This program also allowed the reopening of Soufrière primary school in 2019 following Hurricane Maria.
Due to the lack of a death certificate, Daniel Langlois’ family was also unable to repatriate the bodies and hold a funeral ceremony.
Reservations and whales
Despite the tragic events, Normand Langlois assures that there have been few cancellations of reservations at the hotel. Some were a little worried, but most travelers were “unaware” of the situation, he said.
The Coulibri Ridge Resort in Dominica, an eco-responsible and self-sufficient hotel. (Coulibri Ridge Resort)
The Coulibri Ridge Resort is currently closed due to hurricane season. It will open its doors again in November to welcome tourists to its luxurious suites.
“We have several reservations with the package Swim with the humpack whale, which helps us a lot,” adds Normand Langlois. The Aquatic Adventures company offers groups of five people the opportunity to swim a few meters from humpback whales.
Regarding the murder charges brought against the two suspects, he indicates that the trial has been postponed again, to the great dismay of the family.
“At the beginning I had contact with the main investigator on the case, but now he no longer answers me,” concludes Normand Langlois with disappointment.
