Trio sentenced to 158 years for killing Aussie surfers
Lizbeth Diaz and Yolanda Morales |
A judge has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the killings of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024.
The defendants, identified by authorities simply as Jesus Gerardo “N,” known as “El Kekas,” Irineo Francisco “N” and Angel Jesus “N,” were found guilty a week ago of homicide, aggravated robbery, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.
A judge in Ensenada ordered the defendants to pay compensation to the victims’ families, an official from the Baja California state judiciary said.
The judge told the court on Saturday AEDT that the trio’s crimes were made worse by the fact the tourists were unarmed and attacked at a remote location at night.
The defendants’ legal team say they will appeal the sentence.
Antonio Otanez, president of the Baja Surfing Association, welcomed the sentencing, saying “justice has been served.”
Otanez acknowledged the killings had caused a “major drop” in tourist visits, particularly by surfers, to the Mexican region known for its beautiful beaches.
Callum Robinson, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and Rhoad, 30, were camping and surfing near Punta San Jose, about 80km south of Ensenada, when they were reported missing in late April 2024.
After a days-long search, aided by the FBI, their bodies were found on May 3 at the bottom of a well. The victims were each found with gunshot wounds in the head, police said.
“There will never be justice for the loss of a child, but these men will never hurt anyone else again,” said Page Rhoad, mother of the slain American, after the sentencing.
Martin and Debra Robinson, parents of Jake and Callum, followed the sentencing hearing remotely after returning to Australia last week, following the initial guilty verdict.
In an interview as they left one of the hearings that made up the trial, they described their sons’ deaths as “hell” and an “incredibly difficult” experience.
Prosecutors told the trial the accused trio had attempted to carjack the tourists, who were shot when they tried to resist. Their ute was later found burned nearby.
During the month-long trial, chilling details of the brutal crime were revealed.
García had a criminal history in Ensenada involving alleged drug dealing, unlawful entry into a home, domestic violence and vehicle theft, state authorities said.
Ary Gisell Silva Raya, Garcia’s then-girlfriend, testified last month that he confessed to her that he arrived at the tent where the foreigners were staying with a 9mm pistol.
Upon seeing him, the tourists began throwing their belongings to prevent him from attacking them, and one of them begged for his life, which the assailant ignored, she said.
In November 2025, Silva Raya was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the case. The woman, who was 23 at the time, was arrested a few days after the bodies of the victims were found.
While the Ensenada area is considered relatively safe, Baja California ranks among Mexico’s most violent states. Following the killings, the US State Department urged Americans to reconsider travel to the state due to crime and kidnapping risks.
with AAP and AP
Reuters