© Reuters
By Robertson Henry
KINGSTOWN, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES (Reuters) – Police from two nations within the japanese Caribbean are investigating the doable homicide of two folks believed to be U.S. residents who owned a catamaran that was hijacked by three fugitives within the waters off the island of Grenada.
The yacht’s alleged house owners, Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, have been final seen Sunday night time, when three males escaped from the custody of Grenadian authorities. Police in St. Vincent and the Grenadines captured the boys on Wednesday.
The Royal Grenada Police Pressure mentioned in a press release launched on Friday that preliminary info suggests the escaped prisoners had traveled from Grenada to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on a yacht. Investigators at the moment are engaged on leads “that counsel that the 2 occupants of the yacht could have been killed within the course of,” the assertion mentioned.
Authorities have but to formally affirm Brandel and Hendry because the house owners of the yacht, however the Salty Dawg Crusing Affiliation, which the couple have been members of, launched a press release citing the couple because the house owners.
That assertion mentioned a cruising skipper had reported their yacht, Simplicity, deserted off of the coast of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The individual “discovered proof of violence” on the boat, it mentioned.
The group famous the pair have been seasoned sailors who had spent the winter crusing down the japanese coast of the U.S. into the Caribbean.
“It is a very upsetting occasion and particulars are nonetheless unconfirmed by the authorities, however this does seem like a tragic occasion,” mentioned Bob Osborn, the affiliation’s president.
“Upon inspection, it was discovered that the yacht had been ransacked, and it was obvious a violent act had taken place,” in line with the Caribbean Security and Safety Web (CSSN), which collects and disseminates info referring to crimes involving yachts within the area. “Copious quantities of blood have been discovered within the grasp stateroom, and the 2 house owners have been lacking.”
In keeping with knowledge from AIS, an computerized monitoring system that makes use of transceivers on ships, the yacht left Grenada round 10 p.m. native time on Sunday. The vessel’s pace was uncharacteristically quick for the couple, often called fair-weather sailors who go exceedingly slowly, in line with the Grenada Cruisers Info Fb (NASDAQ:) web page.
Ron Mitchell, 30, Trevon Robertson, 19, and Abita Stanislaus, 25, have been being held on the South Saint George Police Station in Grenada on fees of theft with violence earlier than their escape to St. Vincent, in line with police. Mitchell additionally confronted further counts of rape, tried rape, and indecent assault, police added.
