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Three men were found guilty of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024. The victims were killed in an apparent robbery attempt on a secluded beach, with their bodies later discovered with gunshot wounds to the head, dumped down a well. The trial concluded in Baja California on Friday, where prosecutors sought up to 150 years in prison for each defendant. The case shocked locals and tourists due to the senseless nature of the murders, highlighting ongoing violence issues in Mexico despite its reputation as a safe surfing destination.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 10, a Mexican judge found three men guilty of murdering two Australian brothers, Jake and Callum Robinson (aged 30 and 33), and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Baja California state, Mexico. The verdict followed five weeks of trial proceedings where the families of the victims, including parents Martin and Debra Robinson, delivered emotional testimony. The accused, Jesús Gerardo (also known as "El Kekas"), Irineo Francisco, and Ángel Jesús, were convicted of aggravated homicide, robbery, and violent theft. The brothers' parents addressed the court in Ensenada, stating their lives would never be the same without them but their love for them will not fade. This case raised significant concerns about tourist safety in Mexico after the murders sparked international condemnation.
Written for “Murders of Australian Surfers in Mexi…” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Three men have been found guilty of murdering Australian brothers, Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024.
asserted
men → publish → 2024
During the trial, the court heard the tourists were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck in a secluded beach area.
asserted
tourists → hear → area
Their bodies were later found with gunshot wounds to their heads, dumped down a well.
asserted
bodies → find → well
The murders sent shockwaves around the world, particularly in Australia, as the coastal area is usually safe from the violence in other parts of Mexico.
asserted
area → send → Mexico
The verdict was handed down on Friday in the Mexican state of Baja California.
asserted
verdict → hand → Baja
The parents of the two Australian brothers, Martin and Debra Robinson, have been at the court in the coastal town of Ensenada throughout the trial and they delivered emotional testimony during closing arguments heard earlier on Thursday.
asserted
they → deliver → Thursday
"It's hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons," said their father, Martin.
asserted
father → lose → sons
Family members of Rhoad joined the trial by video link.
asserted
members → join → link
Speaking to media outside court a week ago, Debra Robinson said the couple were "deeply grateful" to Australians for the outpouring of support they had received and that they "feel the love and their arms around us".
asserted
they → speak → us
During the month-long trial, the prosecution had sought 150 years in prison for each of the three defendants.
asserted
prosecution → seek → defendants
In November last year, the girlfriend of the alleged ringleader, Jesús "El Kekas" Gerardo, was sentenced in a separate trial to twenty years in prison.
asserted
girlfriend → sentence → prison
She had admitted to involvement in the robbery.
asserted
She → admit → robbery
At the time, the murders shocked locals and tourists in Ensenada who were disturbed at the apparent ease and sheer pointlessness of the killings.
asserted
who → shock → killings
The beach town has a reputation as a welcoming spot for surfers and the chilling murders revealed much about how commonplace such extreme violence remains in Mexico.
asserted
violence → have → Mexico
The only explanation the authorities appeared able to give was that the surfers – all in their early thirties – had ultimately been murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
asserted
surfers → appear → time
Their killings took place barely 36 hours after they crossed into Mexico from the US.
asserted
they → take → US
Their bodies, however, were not found for another week when their families were able to identify them.
asserted
families → find → them
At the time, the surfer community in Ensenada turned out in force to commemorate the men by paddling out at one of the area's best known surfing spots and throwing flowers into the sea.
asserted
community → turn → sea
Local surfers also called for greater security for residents and visiting tourists, citing other recent examples of violence in the state.
asserted
surfers → call → state
Amid the demands for action, the governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, tried to ease public fears about the widespread violence in her state.
asserted
governor → try → state
"Baja California is and will continue to be a state with safe tourism for the thousands of people who visit us from the rest of the country and the world", she said.
asserted
she → continue → country
"I send my condolences and solidarity to the families at this difficult time."
asserted
I → send → time
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