Mexican court convicts three men of killing Robinson brothers and their American friend

A court in Ensenada convicted three men on October 9 of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad. The tourists were shot during a surfing trip to Mexico in April 2024.

Judge Raúl Hernández Arellano delivered the verdict after about five weeks of hearings. The convicted men are Jesús Gerardo, known as El Kekas, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús. Alongside aggravated homicide, the court found them guilty of offences connected to the attack, including armed robbery and violent vehicle theft.

The brothers and their friend disappeared in late April 2024 while camping in a remote coastal area of Baja California. Their bodies were found several days later in a well alongside that of a local farmer. Prosecutors established that the three travellers were killed during a robbery.

The brothers' parents, Debra and Martin Robinson, travelled from Australia and attended the verdict. They thanked the court, consular staff, prosecutors and witnesses. Martin Robinson described the decision as an important step toward justice and accountability, while acknowledging that it could not bring back the victims or remove the pain of losing them.

Jake Robinson was a doctor who planned to start work at a hospital in Geelong after returning from the trip. Callum Robinson played professional lacrosse and lived in San Diego. The three convicted men are due to be sentenced on October 16. Baja California prosecutors said they would seek 210 years in prison for each man. That is the prosecution's request, and the court has yet to determine the final sentences.