The family of a retired Virginia couple, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, have revealed their final known movements after three escaped inmates from a Grenada jail allegedly hijacked their yacht, leaving behind 'copious amounts of blood'. The couple, both in their 60s, had been living aboard their catamaran 'Simplicity' and were enjoying a long-planned Caribbean voyage.
According to Hendry's sister, Suellen Desmarais, the couple had gone into town for a meal on the day of the incident. 'Somehow Ralph crossed paths in this teeny tiny town with these three men, what happened after that, we're not sure,' she told WPTV. The couple had docked near Saint George's when the vessel was taken last Saturday.
Police fear the couple may have been murdered by suspects Trevon Robertson, Ron Mitchell, and Atiba Stanislaus, who had escaped from the South Saint George's Police Station. 'Copious volumes of blood were discovered in the master stateroom,' according to a safety report filed on Caribbean Security and Safety Net. The boat was found 85 nautical miles from where the couple were last seen, with bloodstains but no sign of them.
The suspects were later captured and charged with robbery with violence. Mitchell faces additional charges of rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, and causing harm. Desmarais described the couple as 'the kindest people in the entire world' and expressed disbelief at the tragedy. The Salty Dawg Sailing Association, of which the couple were members, confirmed that evidence of apparent violence was found aboard the abandoned yacht.
