A retired American couple is feared dead after three escaped inmates allegedly hijacked their yacht in the Caribbean on February 18.
Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel of Virginia had docked their vessel, called Simplicity, in Grenada’s St. George, Fox 11 reported Saturday.
However, officials said three fugitives targeted them and stole their yacht. The boat also appeared to have been ransacked and there was evidence of violence.
Images show the couple in the case and their yacht:
Virginia couple feared dead after 3 escaped prisoners steal their yacht in the Caribbean https://t.co/Y0MztoQcfs pic.twitter.com/WI1uzg3pl6
— New York Post (@nypost) February 24, 2024
“Just really sad. They were thinking that this was gonna be the last grand trip along with this sailboat,” a friend told WUSA 9 of the couple.
According to the outlet, law enforcement said there was evidence suggesting the couple were “killed in the process” of the incident, but no deaths have yet been confirmed.
Per the Fox article, the trio of male prisoners consists of one 30-year-old, a 19-year-old, and one 20-year-old.
The men “had been locked up on charges of violent robbery, with the eldest also being held on three counts of attempted rape,” the report said.
Images show the suspects in the case:
Three escaped inmates in Grenada may have stolen a yacht and killed the two American passengers onboard, the Royal Grenada Police Force said on Thursday. https://t.co/TwJJBuvDsy
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 23, 2024
Officers with the Royal Grenada Police Force said the prisoners were located near another island in the area on Wednesday and they are still working on the case to find answers as to the couple’s location.
Meanwhile, the Salty Dawg Sailing Association (SDSA) explained the man and woman were members of the association, and the group’s president, identified as Bob Osborn, shared a message in a recent press release.
Sail Magazine quoted him as saying:
This is very upsetting event, and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event–our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the family who love them. I have spoken to the families and have offered our deepest condolences and our assistance in any way possible. In all my years of cruising the Caribbean, I have never heard of anything like this.
Police said authorities took the prisoners into custody once they were located. The Fox article identified them as “Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Trevon Robertson, a 19-year-old unemployed man and Abita Stanislaus, a 20-year-old farmer.”
The men, who are from Paradise in Grenada, had been in jail since December.
