A retired American couple is presumed dead after their yacht was hijacked by three escaped criminals from Grenada.
Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel of Virgina were docked on the idyllic shores of Grande Anse Beach in Grenada on February 19.
The next day, their boat was found “poorly anchored with a shredded jib” off the coast of the nearby island of St. Vincent.
It turns out it was stolen by three men who had broken out of jail in Grenada while facing various charges including rape and robbery.
The bedroom inside the yacht was found drenched in “copious amounts of blood,” according to Caribbean Safety and Security Net, which reports on maritime crimes in the Caribbean.
The couple’s death was confirmed by a GoFundMe that has raised $14,000.
“Kathy and Ralph, experienced adventurers, spent their retirement sailing aboard Simplicity, spending summers in New England and embracing the warmth of Caribbean winters,” according to the fundraiser, which was started by a friend of Kathy’s son.
“Their final voyage with the Salty Dawg Sailing Crew took an unthinkable turn as Simplicity was found abandoned in St. Vincent, bearing chilling evidence of a violent struggle.”
According to CSSN, the couple’s personal items were missing as it appeared the yacht had been “ransacked.”
On Wednesday, police in St. Vincent arrested the three men accused of hijacking the yacht: Ron Mitchell, Trevon Robertson, and Abita Stanislaus.
They had broken out of a holding cell in Grenada before the attack.
Hendry’s sister Suellen Desmarais told ABC News that the couple had been in Grenada for two weeks.
She says their boating neighbor at the dock saw them alive on Sunday afternoon. She adds that the man saw Simplicity next to him when he went to bed, but when he “got up at 6:30 a.m. on Monday morning, Simplicity was gone.”
