A Mexican court has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the 2024 murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip to the country's Pacific coast....
A Mexican court has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the 2024 murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip to the country’s Pacific coast.
The victims, Australian brothers Jake Robinson, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, and their American friend Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed during an attempted robbery in Baja California state on April 27, 2024.
The trio had been camping in a remote beachside area near Ensenada when they were attacked.
Their bodies were discovered days later in a well near a cliff, with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Judge Raul Hernandez ruled that the three defendants, identified as Jesus Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesus, had acted with premeditation.
The sentences were handed down on Friday, following a trial that attracted international attention and sparked widespread condemnation over the killings.
However, the judge rejected prosecutors’ request for more than $100,000 in damages, ruling that the families would have to pursue compensation through civil proceedings.
‘We lost two sons’
The victims’ families expressed their grief following the verdict.
Carter Rhoad’s mother, Page, said the sentence offered some reassurance despite the irreparable loss.
“There can never be justice for the loss of a son, but we are grateful that these men will never hurt anyone else,” she said.
The parents of the Robinson brothers travelled from Australia to attend the month-long trial.
“It’s hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons,” their father, Martin Robinson, told the court.
Their mother, Debra Robinson, said the cruelty inflicted on her sons in their final hours was particularly painful.
Rhoad’s fiancée, Natalie Weirtz, also addressed the court by video link, calling for punishment to prevent other families from experiencing similar suffering.
Girlfriend previously sentenced
The former girlfriend of Jesus Gerardo, accused of leading the attack, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November after admitting to encouraging him to steal the tyres from the victims’ pickup truck.
She reportedly said Gerardo had mocked the surfers’ pleas for their lives and boasted about items stolen from them.
Investigators said 9mm and .45-calibre pistols were used in the attack.
The killings occurred in Baja California, a state affected by organised crime and drug trafficking. Ensenada is a popular surfing destination that attracts visitors from across the world.
The case renewed concerns about the safety of foreign visitors travelling along Mexico’s Pacific coast.