Three men convicted of killing Australian surfers and U.S. friend in Mexico
A judge in Ensenada, Mexico, found three men guilty Friday of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad. The three surfers were shot during a camping trip in Baja California in 2024. Sentencing is set for October 16, and prosecutors want 210 years each.
A Mexican judge on Friday found three men guilty of murdering two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip in 2024.
Judge Raúl Hernández in the coastal city of Ensenada ruled that the three men were responsible for killing Callum and Jake Robinson and Carter Rhoad, the Associated Press reported. They were also found guilty of armed robbery and armed carjacking. The judge said they acted with premeditation, The Guardian reported.
Jake Robinson was 30, Callum was 33 and Rhoad was 30. They went to Baja California's Pacific coast in April 2024 to surf and were reported missing soon after arriving near Punta San José, about 50 miles from Ensenada. Their bodies were found on May 3 in a well, with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Prosecutors said the killings happened during a robbery. A woman who was the main defendant's partner at the time pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November 2025 to 20 years in prison. She testified that he confessed to her that he went to the tent where the three men were staying with a 9mm pistol, the AP reported.
The brothers' parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, traveled from Australia for the month-long trial. "No outcome can ever undo this tragedy, but we hope today marks an important step towards justice," Martin Robinson said. Debra Robinson told reporters, "A verdict is a good thing, but it doesn't bring them back."
Rhoad's mother and his fiancée joined the hearing by video from the United States.
Sentencing is set for October 16. Prosecutors asked for 210 years in prison for each man, though The Guardian notes the maximum sentence in Baja California is 60 years.
The family has started the Callum and Jake Robinson Foundation to carry on the brothers' memory.
What we know: All three defendants were found guilty on every count.
What we don't: How long their prison terms will be.
Where outlets agree The Associated Press and The Guardian both report that sentencing is set for October 16 and that prosecutors asked for 210 years for each defendant.
Where they differ The Associated Press names the main defendant as Jesús Gerardo García, while The Guardian withholds his surname and says it is kept private for legal reasons.