Court Orders Deportation of Grenadians Suspected of Murdering US Couple

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – A magistrate’s court Monday ordered that three Grenadian fugitives, who are suspected of murdering two United States sailors after escaping from a police station in Grenada be repatriated to their homeland.

Ron Mitchell, 30, Trevon Robertson, 25 and 23 year-old Atiba Stanislaus,  all of Paradise, St. Andrew, Grenada, are suspected of killing Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel after hijacking their yacht and sailing it to St. Vincent following their escape from a police station in St. George’s on February 18.

The men were charged jointly with one count of robbery with violence. Additionally, Mitchell was charged separately with one count of rape, three counts of attempted rape, two counts of indecent assault, and causing harm.

They were arrested in Petit Bordel, a village on the island’s northwest coast on February  21, with Mitchell suffering a gun shot wound to the leg allegedly after he began wrestling with officers, an allegation he denied in court on Monday.

The men reappeared in court on Monday, one week after pleading guilty to four immigration charges.

Senior Magistrate Colin John, who had remanded them in custody pending the sentencing, ruled that repatriating them would best serve the course of justice.

The prosecution told the court that on February 21, a police officer attached to the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), acting on information, headed a party of RRU and Narcotic Unit officers to north-western St. Vincent.

On reaching Petit Bordel, the officers found a dinghy on the shoreline with a Yamaha engine about 20 feet from it.

The Coast Guard arrived later with officers from the Major Crime Unit and the Coast Guard on board.

As the officers photographed the scene, other law enforcement officials began a search for the men, who the police were aware were wanted in Grenada.

The prosecutor said the  officers met Mitchell at the back of the house, dressed in short black pants and lying face down on the ground.  The officers approached and informed him of their duties and while attempting to handcuff Mitchell, he started to wrestle with the officers.

“The police had to use force in order to subdue him.  He received injuries,” the prosecutor told the court but gave no further details about the injuries.

The court heard that a further search was conducted in the area and the officers found the two other defendants hiding in the bushes near the house.

They told the police officers that they arrived in St. Vincent on board a yacht captained by Mitchell, which they left at Cumberland and used the dinghy to travel to Petit Bordel.

The prosecutor further said the men told police that they did not clear with authorities.

The prosecutor told the court that the men were taken to the Central Police Station and were handed over to immigration authorities.

The prosecutor told the court that Robertson has no criminal record in Grenada, but Stanislaus has10 convictions, including four counts of house breaking, four counts of stealing  and one count of assault.

Mitchell has nine convictions, including three counts of house breaking, three counts of stealing from dwelling a house and one count of stealing from a

Stanislaus told the court that he had heard the facts but had nothing to say about them. Robertson also declined to comment beyond saying, “I good. I good.”

Mitchell, however, rebutted the prosecutor’s account of how he was shot.

“I never wrestle with no officer. He just … shoot me in my foot. I never wrestle with no police. My ribs hurting me where I am here now. I’m in pain her right now. I tasting blood in my mouth right through,” he told the court.

The magistrate told him that he has a right to medical attention.

The magistrate further said that based on the facts he thinks that justice would be best served by repatriating the men.

John ordered that the men be removed from the state and sent back to Grenada as soon as practicable.

Stanislaus asked the court how long that process will take, but the magistrate told them that they will have to be detained until the logistics are worked out.

“But as soon as is practicable,” he added.