Escaped Convicts Charged With Murder of American Couple on Caribbean Yacht

Investigators from Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines stand aboard the yacht "Simplicity," now anchored at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Coastguard Service Calliaqua Base, in Calliaqua, St. Vincent, on Feb. 23, 2024. Kenton X. Chance/AP Photo

Police said that three escaped convicts have been charged with murder in the deaths of an American couple whose yacht was hijacked in the Caribbean and found bearing signs of a violent struggle.

The Royal Grenada Police Force said in a March 7 statement that Ron Mitchell, Trevon Robertson, and Abita Stanislaus have each been charged with two counts of capital murder by “intentionally causing the death” of Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, whose bodies have yet to be found after the suspects presumably threw them overboard.

All three have also been charged with other offenses, including robbery, kidnapping, and escaping lawful custody.

Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, a married couple from Virginia, had been sailing in the Caribbean on their beloved catamaran Simplicity, when the vessel was found on Feb. 19 off the shores of Grand Anse Beach in Grenada, “bearing chilling evidence of a violent struggle,” their family said in an earlier statement.

The couple are believed to have been murdered by the three suspects, who had escaped prison and hijacked the couple’s yacht, police said earlier.

“Preliminary information emanating from investigators in St Vincent suggests that the three men made their way to St Vincent via a yacht which was docked in the St. George area,” the Royal Grenada Police Force said in a Feb. 22 statement, adding that investigators were “working on leads that suggest that the two occupants of the yacht may have been killed in the process.”

“Their lives ended in unimaginable tragedy,” a longtime family friend said in a statement, noting that the couple lost their lives in a “senseless act of violence.”

The sons of the murdered couple issued a statement on Feb. 27, saying they were “incredibly saddened” by news that their parents were presumed dead.

“While the end of their life may have been dark, they brought light, and that light will never be extinguished from the hearts and minds of the people who knew, loved and cared so deeply about them,” Nick Buro and Bryan Hendry said in the statement.

“We are ever hopeful that justice will be served,” they added.

What Happened?

Police said that the three suspects escaped from a holding cell on Feb. 18, a day before the U.S. couple’s yacht was found abandoned. All three faced charges of robbery and violence, while Mr. Mitchell faced additional charges of rape and indecent assault causing harm.

The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association (SDSA) said in a statement that Mr. Hendry and Ms. Brandel were “veteran cruisers” and longtime members of the association.

Calling them “warmhearted and capable,” the SDSA stated that a cruising skipper came across the couple’s yacht, anchored and abandoned off a beach on the south coast of St. Vincent, an island in the Caribbean.

“The good Samaritan had boarded the boat and noted that the owners, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, were not onboard and found evidence of apparent violence,” the SDSA stated.

Bernat Buj, a catamaran captain who was paddle-boarding along the St. Vincent shore when he came across the couple’s ransacked yacht, told PEOPLE in an interview that there was a “great mess throughout the ship” and that he initially thought it was the scene of a robbery.

“But when I entered a cabin and saw blood, I thought it could be something much worse,” Mr. Buj told the outlet.

Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel (R) in a file photo. Nick Buro via CNN Newsource

Police were alerted, with news later emerging that three dangerous inmates had escaped from a Grenada prison and were at large, with the SDSA saying it was speculated that the trio had boarded the couple’s yacht.

“This is a very upsetting event and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event,” Bob Osborn, SDSA president, said in a statement.

“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 on Feb. 22 that the investigation was in its “infancy” and that a team of senior investigators and a forensic specialist had been dispatched to St. Vincent to investigate the matter.

Local media reported on the arrest of the suspects, with video of an arrest showing one escapee in shorts with blood on his legs as a police officer shoved him into the back of a pickup truck.

Ron Mitchell, Trevor Robertson, and Atiba Stanislaus, the three suspects in the death of an American couple in the Caribbean, are seen in undated photos. Royal Grenada Police Force

In a statement, the couple’s family thanked volunteers who worked to gather information and provide search and rescue support.

“It means so much to us that so many people cared for Ralph and Kathy as friends and fellow cruisers that they are willing to stop and help in whatever way possible,” the sons of the couple said.

“We also want to applaud the St. Vincent authorities for their quick actions in securing Simplicity and their brave, swift response that led to the apprehension of three dangerous fugitives,” they added.

Police said that the three suspects made their first court appearance on March 7 and are being held in jail until their next court date on March 27.