A judge in Ensenada, Mexico, has 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 delivered the verdict Friday 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. Their full names have been partially withheld for legal reasons.
The judge ruled the three men acted with premeditation when they shot the victims near Ensenada on April 27, 2024. The brothers, aged 30 and 33, and Rhoad, 30, were killed during what prosecutors described as a robbery of their truck in a secluded beach area on the Pacific coast. Their bodies were discovered dumped in a well on May 3, 2024, after they were reported missing.
The defendants have been in custody for more than two years. The prosecution sought sentences of up to 210 years for each defendant, though the maximum sentence under Baja California law is 60 years. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16.
The parents of the Australian brothers, Debra and Martin Robinson, attended every day of the trial. As the judge announced his decision, they held hands in the courtroom. Martin Robinson said outside court that the verdict represented "a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beautiful sons Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad."
Debra Robinson told the courtroom that the murders had taken "the future we had imagined with them." Martin Robinson added that while the verdict could not bring back his sons or ease their heartbreak, he hoped it represented "an important step towards justice and accountability."
The case drew international attention and sparked outrage in Australia and the United States following the deaths of the three young men during their holiday.