A Mexican judge in Ensenada, Baja California, on Friday convicted three men of the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, and their American friend Carter Rhoad, 30. The Guardian, BBC, CNN, ABC and Reuters reported the verdict, and Reuters cited a source at the court. AP named the men as Jesús Gerardo García, known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, convicted of aggravated homicide, and said Judge Raúl Hernández Arellano will announce sentences on October 16. The BBC said the bodies were found at the bottom of a well. Prosecutors asked for “exemplary” sentences; AP says 210 years each and Newscord says up to 150 years, and we could not reconcile the two. Ary Gisell Silva Raya, García’s former partner, was sentenced earlier to 20 years for her part in the robbery of the group’s belongings.
It is the first court finding on one of the most closely followed overseas cases for Australians in recent years, and it tests whether Mexico’s justice system can deliver sentences that satisfy victims’ families in Australia and the United States.
If you are planning to surf or travel in Baja California, the DFAT Smartraveller advice for Mexico is the place to check before you go. The verdict itself does not change that advice.
The conviction shows that a case with international attention can be carried to a verdict in Mexico, and that the families’ campaign for accountability worked.
A verdict is not a sentence. Until the judge sets the terms on October 16, and any appeal is heard, the families do not yet have finality, and the conflicting reports on what prosecutors sought are a reminder that details are still emerging.
Watch October 16. The sentence, any appeal by the defence and a statement from the Australian Government are the three things still missing. We will not report a figure for the prosecution’s request until AP and Newscord agree.
The Guardian · BBC · CNN · ABC News · Reuters via The Straits Times · DW · SMH / The Age · AP · Newscord · CBS News (Oct. 9–10) · Sentences not yet announced
Three men found guilty of murdering Jake and Callum Robinson and Carter Rhoad in Mexico. Sentences due on October 16
A judge in Ensenada convicted the three over the April 2024 killings of the Perth surfing brothers and their American friend. Prosecutors have asked for “exemplary” prison terms, and sentencing is a week away.
A Mexican judge on Friday found three men guilty of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad, the Guardian, BBC, CNN, ABC and Reuters reported. The brothers, aged 30 and 33, and Rhoad, 30, were killed on a surfing trip in Baja California in April 2024. The BBC said their bodies were found at the bottom of a well. DW said the case shocked Mexico and drew international outrage.
AP reported that the court in Ensenada convicted Jesús Gerardo García, known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús of aggravated homicide. Judge Raúl Hernández Arellano is due to announce their sentences on October 16, according to AP and Newscord. Prosecutors asked for “exemplary” terms for each man. AP put the request at 210 years each, while Newscord reported up to 150 years. We could not reconcile the two figures.
The three victims had been camping in a remote beachside area when they were killed, NBC stations reported. An earlier report said all three defendants chose to go to trial rather than plead. Aggravated homicide generally means a killing with an added element, such as robbery, that carries heavier penalties; the reports we saw did not say which element the court found.
The Robinsons were from Perth, and The West Australian, ABC and the Herald followed the trial closely. On Friday, before the verdict, the Herald and The Age reported that the brothers’ parents had asked the court for the maximum sentence, saying “our world stopped”.
The case has been followed closely in Australia since the three went missing. The Herald’s headline called it the murders of Australian surfers in Mexico, and ABC and Nine ran the verdict as breaking news within minutes of the ruling. The West Australian led with the guilty finding for the Perth brothers and their friend, reflecting how closely their home city followed the trial.
One woman has already been sentenced. Ary Gisell Silva Raya, García’s former partner, received 20 years in prison after admitting at trial that she had instigated and taken part in the robbery of the surfers’ belongings, CBS News and NBC stations reported. Investigators believe the group was killed in an attempt to steal their pickup truck, those reports said.
For the families, the verdict answers the central question of the trial but not yet the question of punishment. The next date is October 16. The ruling is a first-instance verdict by a single judge, so the process is not over until the sentences are set and any appeal is decided. We have not seen a statement from the defendants’ lawyers, so it is not clear whether any will appeal, and we did not find a response from the Australian Government.