A Mexican judge on Friday convicted three men of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip to Baja California in April 2024.
Judge Raúl Hernández Arellano in the coastal city of Ensenada delivered the verdict after a five-week trial. The three defendants—Jesús Gerardo García, known as "El Kekas," Irineo Francisco, and Ángel Jesús—were found guilty of aggravated homicide, armed robbery, and armed carjacking. The judge ruled that the three men acted with premeditation when they shot the victims.
The brothers' parents, Debra and Martin Robinson, attended every day of the proceedings. Martin Robinson said outside court that the verdict marked "a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beautiful sons Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad." He added that while no verdict could bring back his sons or ease their heartbreak, the outcome represented "an important step towards justice and accountability."
Debra Robinson told the courtroom that her sons' murders had taken "the future we had imagined with them."
The three victims were camping and surfing near Punta San Jose, approximately 80 kilometers south of Ensenada, when they were reported missing on April 27, 2024. Their bodies were discovered on May 3, 2024, at the bottom of a well with gunshot wounds to their heads. The court heard that the tourists were killed during an apparent botched robbery of their truck in a secluded beach area.
The defendants had been in custody for more than two years. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16. Prosecutors have requested 210 years of imprisonment for each defendant, though the maximum sentence in Baja California state is 60 years. Officials said the three men are likely to spend the remainder of their lives in prison.
The case drew international attention and sparked widespread condemnation in Australia, the United States, and Mexico.