Three men have been found guilty of murdering Australian brothers, Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024.
A judge in Mexico ruled the three Mexican defendants acted with premeditation when they shot dead the Australians and Rhoad near the coastal city of Ensenada on April 27, 2024.
Jesus Gerardo Garcia, known as "El Kekas," and the co-defendants identified simply as Irineo Francisco "N" and Angel Jesus "N," were found guilty of aggravated homicide, violent robbery and vehicle theft by a Baja California court.
The prosecution had sought sentences of up to 150 years against the defendants.
Martin and Debra Robinson, the Robinsons' parents, travelled from Perth to attend the four-week trial and were in court for the verdict. Rhoad's widowed fiancee, Natalie Weirtz, spoke via video call from the United States.
The sentence will be handed down on October 16.
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, authorities said.
Prosecutors said the accused 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.
Ary Gisell Silva Raya, Garcia's then-girlfriend, testified last month during a hearing that he confessed to her that he arrived at the tent where the foreigners were staying with a 9mm pistol.
Upon seeing him, they 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
