Mexican Court Convicts Three Men in Surfers' 2024 Murders

A Mexican court has convicted three men of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Baja California in April 2024. The verdict, delivered Friday in Ensenada, followed a month-long trial examining a suspected robbery that ended with all three tourists being shot dead.

The defendants, identified as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, were found guilty after prosecutors presented evidence concerning the attack on the travelers at a remote coastal campsite. According to The Guardian, the judge ruled that the killings were premeditated. The men have not yet been sentenced.

The victims were Jake Robinson, 30, Callum Robinson, 33, and Rhoad, 30. Their bodies were discovered approximately a week after their deaths in a well or shaft near the beach, with gunshot wounds to their heads, according to reports by the BBC and The Guardian.

Debra Robinson, the brothers' mother, addressed the court during the proceedings, describing the lasting consequences of losing her sons. She and her husband, Martin Robinson, traveled from Australia to Ensenada to attend the trial, which began on September 7.

"They took our sons from our lives forever," Debra Robinson said. "What hurts us most is that, in their final hours, they were treated with such cruelty."

The family attended the proceedings throughout the trial, and Debra Robinson cried when the guilty verdict was announced. The BBC reported that she also described the deaths as having taken away the future the family had imagined with the brothers.

Martin Robinson also testified about the impact of the killings on the family, describing the experience at the beginning of the trial as hell.

"It's hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons," Martin Robinson said.

Rhoad's relatives participated in the proceedings remotely from the United States. His mother, Page, and his fiancée, Natalie Weirtz, joined the hearing by video link as the court considered the case against the three defendants.

Weirtz called for accountability and described the personal consequences of Rhoad's death.

"The accused are guilty and must be punished so that no other family suffers the same pain," Weirtz said. "Since Carter's death, I feel paranoid and isolated."

The prosecution sought lengthy prison terms for all three defendants. The BBC reported that prosecutors requested 150 years for each man, while The Guardian reported a request for 210 years each. The maximum prison sentence in Baja California is 60 years, according to The Guardian.

Jesús Gerardo, who was known by the alias El Kekas, was accused of leading the attack. His full surname has not been disclosed for legal reasons. In November 2025, Ary Gisell Silva, his then-girlfriend, received a 20-year prison sentence after admitting that she instigated the robbery, The Guardian reported.

The murders triggered grief and anger in Australia and the United States and raised concerns about tourist safety in Baja California. Although the region attracts surfers and other international visitors, The Guardian described the state as one of Mexico's most violent, with organized crime and drug trafficking contributing to its security challenges.

Local surfers in Ensenada previously gathered at a popular surfing location to honor the victims by paddling into the sea and throwing flowers into the water. Residents and members of the surfing community also called for stronger security measures for locals and visitors.

Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila responded to public concern by defending the state's tourism safety. The BBC reported that she expressed condolences to the families and said the state would continue to welcome visitors from Mexico and abroad.