Deportation Ordered for Suspects in Disappearance of U.S. Couple in Caribbean

Following a court decision on Monday, three men from Grenada suspected in the disappearance of a U.S. couple whose catamaran was hijacked have been ordered to be deported from St. Vincent. The men, identified as Trevon Robertson, a 19-year-old unemployed man; Abita Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor, had pleaded guilty to immigration charges in a court in the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent.

Deportation Ruling

Senior Magistrate Colin John has ordered that the three suspects be repatriated “as soon as practicable.” The men had previously escaped from a police holding cell in Grenada on Feb. 18 and are suspected of hijacking the catamaran while Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel were aboard.

Investigation and Findings

Police have stated that they believe the couple were thrown overboard as the suspects sailed to St. Vincent, where they were arrested on Feb. 21. At present, they have not been charged in the case. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities noting signs of violence aboard the couple’s boat found abandoned in St. Vincent.

Background of the Couple

The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association described Hendry and Brandel as “veteran cruisers” who participated in last year’s Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua, and had planned to spend the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean.