Grenada: what you need to know about an American couple missing in the Caribbean - ExBulletin
Source: ExBulletin
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Authorities in the Eastern Caribbean are scouring the region's waters in hopes of finding a missing American couple who were aboard their catamaran Simplicity more than a week ago when police declared that it had been hijacked by three escaped prisoners from Grenada. .
Police said Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel were presumed dead. Their search began on February 21 after someone discovered their abandoned catamaran on the coast of St. Vincent and alerted authorities.
Police say the three prisoners escaped from a police station on February 18 and hijacked the catamaran a day later. Authorities said the prisoners illegally entered the southwest coast of St. Vincent on Feb. 19 and docked the boat. Two days later, the three men were arrested along the northwest coast of the island.
It is unclear why the escaped prisoners hijacked the couple's catamaran, but it was moored on Grand Anse beach, near the police station where the three men escaped.
Police believe the men hijacked the catamaran with the couple on board, then allegedly threw them into the water on their way to St. Vincent, north of Grenada.
They observed signs of violence on board the catamaran.
WHO ARE THE ESCAPE PRISONERS?
Granada police identified the escaped prisoners as Trevon Robertson, an unemployed 19-year-old; Abita Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old Marine.
All were charged a few months ago with one count of violent robbery. Mitchell was also charged with one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape and two counts of indecent assault and causing harm.
Vannie Curwen, Grenada's deputy police commissioner, said the men were placed in a holding cell rather than jail because a judge had not yet ruled whether they would be released on bail.
WHO IS THE COUPLE?
The Salty Dawg Sailing Association described Brandel and Hendry as veteran cruisers and longtime members who were warm and knowledgeable. He noted that Brandel served on the association's board of directors for two years.
The association said the couple sailed their boat in the 2023 Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua and planned to spend the winter sailing in the Eastern Caribbean. A GoFundMe donation page indicated that Brandel had become a grandmother for the first time.
Nick Buro, Brandel's son, and Bryan Hendry, Hendry's son, said in a statement Tuesday that they were incredibly saddened to learn that the couple was presumed dead, but added that they remained optimistic about the search. in progress.
Although the end of their lives may have been dark, they brought light, and that light will never fade from the hearts and minds of the people who knew them, loved them, and cared for them so deeply, they declared.
WHY WEREN'T THE PRISONERS CHARGED IN THE CASE?
Police in Grenada and St. Vincent provided limited information on the missing couple's case, noting that the investigation is ongoing, although they said the couple was presumed dead.
Authorities have yet to share any specific evidence linking the three men to the couple's disappearance. St. Vincent police say the men cooperated with the investigation.
The men pleaded guilty this week to immigration-related charges and are expected to be sentenced on those charges in early March.
WHO HAS THE COMPETENCE FOR THE BUSINESS?
Authorities have not said whether prosecutors in St. Vincent or Grenada will pursue the case involving the couple.
Grenada Police Commissioner Don McKenzie said attorneys general and prosecutors from both islands were in discussions.
Meanwhile, Granada police sent a team of five officials to assist with the investigation in the neighboring town of St. Vincent.
AND AFTER?
Granada police have launched an investigation into how the men were able to escape from their holding cell.
McKenzie said the police station should have been secure enough to prevent such an escape, and that authorities were investigating whether it was a system failure or an error.
McKenzie said no officers resigned or faced disciplinary action, although a supervisor at the station was transferred to another location to ensure the matter was fully investigated.
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