Tragic Turn of Events for Missing U.S. Couple as Grenada Police Suspect Foul Play in Catamaran Hijacking
In a shocking update, Grenada police revealed on Monday that the older U.S. couple, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, whose catamaran was hijacked in the Caribbean last week, are likely to have met a tragic end after being thrown into the ocean by the three escaped prisoners responsible for the crime.
Police Commissioner Don McKenzie, addressing the media at a news conference, disclosed that the prisoners had escaped on February 18 from the South Saint George Police Station and subsequently hijacked the couple’s catamaran, named “Simplicity,” on February 19. The trio headed towards St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where they were apprehended last Wednesday.
McKenzie stated, “Information suggests that while traveling between Grenada and St Vincent, they disposed of the occupants.” However, he emphasized that there is no conclusive evidence of the couple’s demise, and despite the low probability, authorities hold out hope that they might still be found alive.
Due to the ongoing investigation and limited information, McKenzie expressed constraints in sharing details with the public, citing discussions with his Vincentian counterpart as being “quite limited.”
The Salty Dawg Sailing Association, a nonprofit organization, identified Hendry and Brandel as “veteran cruisers” and expressed devastation over the incident. The association highlighted the couple’s participation in the previous year’s Caribbean Rally and their winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family of the couple, noting that Brandel had recently become a first-time grandmother. The sailing community mourns the loss of two experienced adventurers.
McKenzie confirmed the dispatch of a five-person team to St. Vincent to assist in the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, questions regarding the escape of the prisoners and the subsequent tragedy prompted an internal police investigation into potential system failures.
The escaped prisoners, aged 19, 25, and 30, had faced charges of robbery with violence, with the eldest also accused of rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, and causing harm. The circumstances surrounding their escape and the subsequent events are under scrutiny to determine responsibility for the tragic outcome.