Three men jailed in Mexico for murdering two Australians and an American surfer

A Mexican judge has handed each of three men convicted of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend Carter Rhoad a sentence of 158 years and nine months in prison. The killings took place in 2024 in Baja California, a state in north-western Mexico, where the three had travelled on a surfing trip. The guilty verdict was delivered last week, with the sentences now set.

The court heard that the victims were apparently killed during a botched robbery of their truck on a secluded beach. Their bodies were found dumped in a well, with gunshot wounds to the head. All three were in their early 30s. The murders occurred barely 36 hours after they crossed into Mexico from the US, and the bodies were not found for another week, when families identified them.

The convicted and the trial

For legal reasons the men's full names cannot be published; they are identified only as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús. Jesús Gerardo, alias "El Kekas", is described as the alleged ringleader. In November last year, his girlfriend was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a separate trial after admitting involvement in the robbery.

In court, the brothers' mother, Debra Robinson, said the murders had taken "the future we had imagined with them".

Impact on the region

The killings sent shockwaves around the world, particularly in Australia, because the area is usually safe from the violence seen in other parts of Mexico. In the beach town of Ensenada, which has a reputation as a welcoming spot for surfers, locals and tourists were disturbed by the apparent ease and pointlessness of the crime. The only explanation authorities offered was that the surfers were murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Local surfers called for greater security for residents and visitors, citing other recent violence in the state. Tourism is a key part of Baja California's regional economy.