COUPLE Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry set out to go sailing while in Grenada, however, the two never made it back to shore.
Here’s everything we know about Kathy and Ralph and when the pair went missing.
Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry are a couple from North Virginia who have been married for 27 years.
According to a GoFundMe made after their disappearance, Kathy and Ralph are described as “experienced adventurers” who were retired.
The two bought their yacht in 2013 calling it Simplicity.
According to ABC 7, the couple lived in their boat and were often stationed in Fort Pierce, Florida.
Kathy and Ralph set out to the Caribbean which according to the outlet, “This was what they had been working towards for years and years and years, to get Simplicity up to the point where it could make a passage like this.”
Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry went missing on February 18, 2024, while sailing around Grand Anse Beach, Grenada.
However, the two never returned to shore.
On February 21, the couple’s yacht was discovered by a sailing captain and appeared to be ransacked.
According to the Royal Grenada Police Force, authorities believe the two are dead and have been allegedly killed by three prisoners who escaped their holding cell.
In a press release shared on February 22, police said: “Preliminary information emanating from investigators in St Vincent suggests that the three men made their way to St Vincent via a yacht which was docked in the St. George area.
“The RGPF is currently working on leads that suggest that the two occupants of the yacht may have been killed in the process.
“It is believed that the occupants of the yacht were American citizens.”
At this time, the investigation is ongoing, however, People reported a source close to the investigation said two of the three men confessed to the murders of the North Virginia couple.
Kathy and Ralph had one son each from previous marriages.
Ralph’s son, Bryan Hendry, and Kathy’s son, Nick Buro, have since spoken to multiple news outlets about their parent’s disappearance.
Speaking with ABC News, Nick said: “We were informed pretty early that there were signs of an altercation on the vessel, so we knew from the beginning it wasn’t good.
“We still have hope that they are alive and we can find them.”
As per ABC 7, Bryan said: “If I do see my parents again, it would be the happiest moment of my life.”
The GoFundMe page made after the couple’s disappearance is described as covering the collection of the yacht, “funeral costs, and providing support to the grieving families as they try to comprehend the depth of this tragedy.”
