Three men convicted in Mexico of murdering two Australian brothers and an American friend on surf trip

A court in the Mexican state of Baja California on Friday found three men guilty of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad, who were on a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024. The verdict closes a case that shocked people in several countries, because the coastal area is usually considered safe from the violence seen in other parts of Mexico.

What the court heard

The trial heard that the tourists were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck in a secluded beach area. Their bodies, with gunshot wounds to the head, were later found dumped in a well. All three surfers were in their early thirties. They were killed barely 36 hours after crossing into Mexico from the US, but their bodies were not found for another week, when their families were able to identify them.

During the month-long trial, prosecutors sought 150 years in prison for each of the three defendants. In November last year, the girlfriend of the alleged ringleader, Jesús "El Kekas" Gerardo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a separate trial after admitting involvement in the robbery.

Families in court

The brothers' parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, attended the court in the coastal town of Ensenada throughout the trial and gave emotional testimony during closing arguments on Thursday. "It's hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons," said their father, Martin. Rhoad's relatives joined the proceedings by video link.

Reaction in Ensenada

The killings shook locals and tourists in Ensenada, who were disturbed by the apparent ease and pointlessness of the crime. Authorities could offer little explanation beyond saying the surfers were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The local surfing community paddled out at a well-known surf spot and threw flowers into the sea, and called for better security. Baja California governor Marina del Pilar Ávila said at the time that the state would remain safe for tourists, noting that tourism is a key part of the regional economy.