3 Mexican men jailed for over 158 years for Australian, US surfer murders

A Mexican judge has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad. The defendants, identified as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco, and Ángel Jesús, were found guilty a week ago of homicide, aggravated robbery, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence.

The Guardian reports that the group was attacked on April 27, 2024, while camping in a remote beachside area near Ensenada in Baja California.

The victims were reportedly killed during a botched robbery of their truck, and their bodies were later found in a cliff-top well with gunshot wounds to their heads, according to BBC World. The South China Morning Post noted the case has impacted Mexico's image regarding the risks faced by foreign tourists. In a separate trial last November, the girlfriend of the alleged ringleader, Jesús Gerardo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting involvement in the robbery.

During the proceedings, Debra Robinson told the court that the murders had taken away the future her sons had imagined, according to BBC World. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported that the Robinson brothers’ parents attended every day of the trial. While prosecutors sought more than $100,000 in damages, the judge ruled against the request, stating any compensation would have to be pursued separately, according to The Guardian.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post, BBC World, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Guardian — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.