- A catamaran with two U.S. citizens on board was hijacked by three fugitives in the waters off the island of Grenada
- Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, the yacht’s owners, were last seen on February 18 evening, when three men escaped from the custody of Grenadian authorities
- The men were captured three days later by St. Vincent and the Grenadines police forces
SAINT GEORGE’S, Grenada: A catamaran with two U.S. citizens on board was hijacked by three fugitives in the waters off the island of Grenada, and police from two countries in the eastern Caribbean are investigating their possible murder.
Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, the yacht’s owners, were last seen on February 18 evening, when three men escaped from the custody of Grenadian authorities.
The men were captured three days later by St. Vincent and the Grenadines police forces.
In a statement on February 23, the Royal Grenada Police Force said that preliminary information suggests the fugitives traveled from Grenada to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on a yacht, and investigators are now working on leads “that suggest that the two occupants of the yacht may have been killed in the process.”
In a statement, the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, which the couple were members of, said that a cruising skipper had reported their yacht, Simplicity, abandoned off the coast of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The person “found evidence of violence” on the boat, it added.
Bob Osborn, the association’s president, said, “This is a very upsetting event, and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event.”
The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN) said, “Upon inspection, it was found that the yacht had been ransacked, and it was apparent a violent act had taken place. Copious amounts of blood were found in the master stateroom, and the two owners were missing.”
Police said that before they escaped to St. Vincent, Ron Mitchell, 30, Trevon Robertson, 19, and Abita Stanislaus, 25, were being held at the South Saint George Police Station in Grenada on charges of robbery with violence.
