By Robertson Henry
KINGSTOWN, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Police from two nations within the japanese Caribbean are investigating the attainable homicide of two individuals believed to be U.S. residents who owned a catamaran that was hijacked by three fugitives in the waters off the island of Grenada.
The yacht’s alleged homeowners, Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry, have been final seen Sunday evening, 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 Drive stated 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 are actually engaged on leads “that recommend that the 2 occupants of the yacht could have been killed within the course of,” the assertion stated.
Authorities have but to formally verify Brandel and Hendry because the homeowners 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 homeowners.
That assertion stated a cruising skipper had reported their yacht, Simplicity, deserted off of the coast of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The particular person “discovered proof of violence” on the boat, it stated.
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.
“This can be a very upsetting occasion and particulars are nonetheless unconfirmed by the authorities, however this does seem like a tragic occasion,” stated 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 keeping with the Caribbean Security and Safety Web (CSSN), which collects and disseminates info regarding crimes involving yachts within the area. “Copious quantities of blood have been discovered within the grasp stateroom, and the 2 homeowners have been lacking.”
In accordance with information from AIS, an automated 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, generally known as fair-weather sailors who go exceedingly slowly, in keeping with the Grenada Cruisers Info Fb 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 costs of theft with violence earlier than their escape to St. Vincent, in keeping with police. Mitchell additionally confronted further counts of rape, tried rape, and indecent assault, police added.
(Reporting by Robertson Henry; Writing by Sarah Kinosian; Modifying by Paul Simao)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.
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