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The Royal Caribbean Police on Monday, Feb. 26 said the three prisoners, who escaped police custody on Sunday, Feb. 18, likely used Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel's boat, Simplicity, as a getaway boat.
Simplicity was found "anchored and abandoned" off a beach on the south coast of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent on Wednesday, Feb. 21, according to the Salty Dawg Sailing Association. But Hendry, 66, and Brandel, 71, were missing.
In their update Monday morning, Royal Caribbean Police identified the victims for the first time by name and said they were suspected to have been killed when the three escapees "disposed of" the boat's occupants, while traveling between Grenada and St. Vincent.
The escaped prisoners have since been recaptured, and authorities have dispatched a 5-member search team from Grenada.
A GoFundMe launched for Hendry and Brandel's loved ones had raised more than $51,000 as of Monday morning. NBC Washington says the couple sold their Alexandria home to spend time on Simplicity.
Friends of Hendry and Brandel, who are survived by their two sons, mourned their loss.
"Kathy and Ralph, experienced adventurers, spent their retirement sailing aboard Simplicity, spending summers in New England and embracing the warmth of Caribbean winters," the GoFundMe page reads. Their final voyage with the Salty Dawg Sailing Association crew took an unthinkable turn as Simplicity was found abandoned in St. Vincent, bearing chilling evidence of a violent struggle.
"This heartbreaking tragedy has left not only the sailing community, but also their families, shattered. Kathy, who had recently become a first-time grandmother, found immense joy in the presence of her grandson—joy that has now been abruptly taken away. As their families navigate the overwhelming grief and attempt to make sense of this unthinkable loss, we extend our collective support and sympathy."
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