The family of a retired Virginia couple presumed dead after escaped inmates from a Grenada prison hijacked their yacht have revealed their terrifying last movements.
Ralph Hendry and his wife, Kathy Brandel, had been sailing around the Caribbean island and were docked near Saint George’s when the catamaran was taken last Saturday.
Police fear they may have been murdered by suspects Trevon Robertson, Ron Mitchell and Atiba Stanislaus after ‘large amounts of blood’ were found in their bedroom on board the ship.
The trio were being held at South Saint George’s police station on the island when they escaped and are believed to have killed the couple before traveling to St Vincent.
But Hendry’s sister Suellen Desmarais hopes he and his wife are still alive as she shared their last known movements.
Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel are presumed dead after their ship was hijacked by three refugees from a prison in Grenada
The couple was sailing on their catamaran yacht ‘Simplicity’ and enjoying a unique journey when the incident occurred
The suspects, Trevon Robertson, Ron Mitchell and Atiba Stanislaus (pictured), were being held at the South Saint George Police Station on the island when they escaped
“They went into town for a bite to eat and walked back (on Sunday),” she told WPTV. “Somehow in this tiny town, Ralph crossed paths with these three men. We’re not sure what happened next.’
The couple, who are in their 60s, live aboard the ship, named ‘Simplicity’, and enjoyed a unique trip they had been planning for 12 years.
“This was their whole life, they had no other house, they had no cars, they had simplicity.
“Ralph and Kathy are the kindest people in the world, and I just can’t understand how a tragedy like this can happen to people as kind and gentle as they are,” Desmarais said.
“It feels contrived, and I just can’t understand why anyone would do this? Why didn’t someone just take the boat?
“What happened in Grenada was a perfect storm. It was a perfect tragedy of a perfect storm of a perfect love story.”
AIS data shows the ship left Grenada from Grand Anse Beach around 10pm before being discovered the following Wednesday.
The St Vincent Times reported that the boat was found with bloodstains on the inside, but no sign of the couple.
Hendry’s sister Suellen Desmarais hopes they are still alive
The boat was found 85 nautical miles from where the couple was last seen
The couple, from Virginia, had been sailing around the Caribbean island and had Simplicity docked at Saint George when it was captured
‘Large amounts of blood were discovered in the main cabin. Many personal belongings were also lost. Passports discovered on board allowed police to contact the victims’ emergency contacts,” said a security report filed with Caribbean Security and Safety Net.
Local police released a statement on Thursday confirming that the three refugees had been arrested.
Prior to this, officers had warned that the trio may be armed and that they should approach them with caution.
While all were jointly charged with one count of robbery with violence, Mitchell was charged with one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape, two counts of indecent assault and causing harm.
The couple were part of the Salty Dawg Sailing Association and said a cruise shipman found Simplicity abandoned on a beach.
According to the association, the person boarded the boat and found signs of apparent violence.
They added that they had spent the winter cruising the eastern Caribbean after sailing from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua.
The association described them as ‘experienced cruisers’, both of whom were ‘cordial’.
Bob Osborn, SDSA President, said: ‘This is a very disturbing event and the details have still not been confirmed by authorities, but this appears to be a tragic event – our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the family who loves them.
“I have spoken to the families and offered our deepest condolences and our assistance in any way possible.
“In all my years of sailing the Caribbean, I’ve never heard of anything like this.”