In short
- A Mexican judge sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend Carter Rhoad.
- The three surfers, all in their early 30s, were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck on a secluded beach in Baja California.
- The victims’ bodies were found dumped down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads.
- The convicted men were identified in court only as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús because their full names were not released for legal reasons.
- In November last year, the girlfriend of alleged ringleader Jesús Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, was sentenced in a separate trial to 20 years in prison after admitting involvement in the robbery.
A Mexican judge has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend Carter Rhoad, who were killed during a surfing trip in Baja California.
What were the three men convicted of?
The court heard that the three surfers, all in their early 30s, were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck on a secluded beach in Baja California in 2024. Their bodies were found dumped down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads. The guilty verdict was handed down the week before the sentencing.
The killings took place barely 36 hours after the three men crossed into Mexico from the United States. Their bodies were not found for another week, when their families were able to identify them.
Who are the men sentenced?
The convicted men’s full names were not released for legal reasons, so they were identified in court only as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús. A court had found the three guilty of murdering the Australian surfers in the verdict that preceded the sentencing.
In November last year, the girlfriend of alleged ringleader Jesús Gerardo, who is known as “El Kekas”, was sentenced in a separate trial to 20 years in prison. She had admitted to involvement in the robbery.
Where were the surfers killed?
The murders took place near Ensenada, a beach town in Baja California with a reputation as a welcoming spot for surfers. The trial over the killing of the two Australian brothers and their US friend heard that the men died in the apparent robbery of their truck.
Local surfers called for greater security for residents and visiting tourists, citing other recent examples of violence in the state. Tourism is a key part of the regional economy in Baja California.
What did the family say?
Debra Robinson, the brothers’ mother, told the courtroom that the murders of her sons had taken “the future we had imagined with them”. The killings drew particular shock in Australia, as the area is usually safe from the violence seen in other parts of Mexico.
Frequently asked questions
How long were the sentences for the Baja California surfer murders?
A Mexican judge sentenced each of the three convicted men to 158 years and nine months in prison for murdering Jake and Callum Robinson and Carter Rhoad in 2024.
Who were the three men convicted of the murders?
The men were identified in court only as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, because their full names were not released for legal reasons.
How were the surfers killed?
The court heard the three men were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck on a secluded beach, and their bodies were found down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Was anyone else sentenced in the case?
In November last year, the girlfriend of alleged ringleader Jesús Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, was sentenced in a separate trial to 20 years in prison after admitting involvement in the robbery.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
