Three men have been found guilty of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and U.S. friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Baja California on 8 September 2024.
The accused were named Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, but their full identities were withheld for legal reasons. Prosecutors had sought 150 years in prison for each defendant, and the verdict will likely mean life sentences.
According to the court, the three tourists were killed in an attempted robbery of their truck in a secluded beach area. Their bodies were later discovered in a well, each with gunshot wounds to the head.
Debra and Martin Robinson escorted their children’s funeral procession through Ensenada and delivered moving testimony to the judge, calling the deaths the loss of the life they imagined for their sons.
The case has sent shockwaves through Australia and the global surfing community, raising concerns about safety on Mexico’s coasts. Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila urged confidence in Baja California’s tourism security, but the tragedy highlights the peril that can occur even in reputedly safe beach towns.
