12 March 2024 , 02:39
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A woman from Virginia, who was killed with her husband by escaped prisoners who took over their yacht in the Caribbean, was reportedly attacked and raped by one of their killers, say the police.
Kathy Brandel, 71, was allegedly attacked by one of the three men charged with murdering her and her 66-year-old husband, Ralph Hendry, on their sailboat last month, according to the Royal Grenada Police Force. Ron Mitchell, Atiba Stanisclaus, and Trevon Robertson were all charged on Thursday with two counts of murder, escaping lawful custody, breaking into a house, robbery and two counts of kidnapping, said the police.
The three men, Ron Mitchell, Atiba Stanislaus and Trevon Robertson, are said to have broken out of their prison cells on February 18th. They then allegedly hijacked a boat owned by Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel.
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Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel were killed by three escaped prisoners (RSVG Police Force)The three men, Ron Mitchell, Atiba Stanislaus and Trevon Robertson, are said to have broken out of their prison cells on February 18th. They then allegedly hijacked a boat owned by Ralph Henry and Kathy Brandel.
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It's thought that the couple were thrown overboard as the suspects sailed to St. Vincent, where they were caught on February 21st. The trio appeared in court last Thursday and will stay in Richmond Hill prison until their next hearing in late March.
Grenada's top cop, Don McKenzie, confirmed that the three men were sent back from St. Vincent on Monday. He said: "Information suggests that while traveling between Grenada and St Vincent, they disposed of the occupants."
This is one of the three men believed to have raped and then killed Kathy Brandel (RSVG Police Force)The Salty Dawg Sailing Association, a charity, identified the owners as Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel. They said the couple were experienced sailors and had been members for a long time, describing them as "warmhearted and capable."
The association shared that a cruising skipper had reached out about a member's yacht, Simplicity, which was found "anchored and abandoned" off a beach on the island of St. Vincent.
"The good Samaritan had boarded the boat and noted that the owners ... were not onboard and found evidence of apparent violence," the association revealed in a statement.
The escaped their prison cells and hijacked a boat, sailing to St. Vincent, where they were caught (RSVG Police Force)The association mentioned that Hendry and Brandel had sailed the yacht in last year's Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and were spending the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.
"This is a very upsetting event and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event," expressed Bob Osborn, the association's president. "In all my years of cruising the Caribbean, I have never heard of anything like this."
Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel had been sailing on their boat when they were hijacked (GoFundMe)Hendry's son Bryan and Brandel's son Nick Buro paid tribute to their parents after news confirmed the pair were tragically found dead.
In a statement, they said: "Ralph and Kathy lived a life that most of us can only dream of, sailing the eastern coast of the United States, living on their home Simplicity, making friends with everyone they encountered, singing, dancing and laughing with friends and family that's who Ralph and Kathy were and that's how they will be remembered in our hearts."