Two Australian brothers and their U.S. friend were killed in Mexico in 2024.
Three men have been sentenced to 158 years for their murders.
Three men have been sentenced to 158 years in prison for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, and their American friend Carter Rhoad in Mexico.
The Robinsons and Rhoad disappeared on a surfing trip in Mexico’s Baja California region in April 2024.
The men’s bodies were found in a well in a remote part of the state.
The Robinsons’ parents, who travelled from Perth for the trial, said they hope the guilty conviction “represents an important step towards justice and accountability.”
Background
In April 2024, the Robinson brothers and Rhoad were reported missing after they failed to check in to an Airbnb.
Police then discovered a burnt-out car and abandoned tents believed to have been used by the men.
Their bodies were later found in an unused well in a remote part of Baja California, around 100km from the Mexico-U.S. border.
Authorities believe the men were shot dead by thieves trying to steal their belongings, their car, or its tyres.
Trial
Three men were arrested in 2024 in connection to the alleged murders.
Under Mexican law, only their given names can be published: Ángel Jesús, Irineo Francisco, and Jesús Gerardo, known as ‘El Kekas’.
At a 2025 hearing, prosecutors said they would seek prison sentences of 210 years for each alleged offender.
An additional 168-year sentence is sought for El Kekas for forced disappearance.
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Last year, El Kekas’ ex-girlfriend Ari Gisell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in instigating the robbery leading to the alleged murders.
The trial began last month in Ensenada, Baja California.
Witnesses, including Gisell, told the judge – who was a last minute replacement after the original judge sustained an injury in an “accident” – about what has been characterised as a robbery gone wrong.
Gisell told the court El Kekas described killing the men to her, including that they gave the killers their car and phones and “begged not to be killed”, according to ABC reporting.
The court also heard that El Kekas was a known hit man.
Verdict
Last week, a judge found all three men guilty of offences including aggravated homicide, violent robbery and vehicle theft.
Their sentences were handed down on Friday (local time).
The court did not disclose the men’s full names for legal reasons.
Each man was sentenced to 158 years and nine months in prison: 135 years for aggravated homicide, 10 years and nine months for aggravated robbery involving violence, and 13 years for the violent theft of a vehicle.
Family
Callum and Jake’s parents Debra and Martin Robinson travelled from Perth to Ensenada for the trial.
Last month, the judge agreed to the Robinsons’ request to deliver his verdict by 9 October, the day they were scheduled to fly home from Mexico.
Outside the court that day, Martin Robinson said: “While no verdict can ever bring back our boys or ease the heartbreak of losing them, we hope this outcome represents an important step towards justice and accountability.”
“We will forever carry their memory in our hearts,” he added.
