Mexican court sentences killers of Australian, US surfers to 158 years

A Mexican judge has sentenced three men to more than 158 years in prison each for the 2024 murders of two Australian surfers and their American friend. The defendants, identified as Jesus Gerardo, Irineo Francisco, and Angel Jesus, were convicted of homicide, aggravated robbery, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence. According to Malay Mail, Judge Raul Hernandez ruled last week that the men acted with premeditation, and on Friday they were sentenced to 158 years and nine months each.

The victims, brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, and their 30-year-old friend Carter Rhoad, were killed during an attempted robbery while camping in a remote beachside area near Ensenada in Baja California. DW News reports the attack occurred on April 27, 2024, and their bodies were later found in a cliff-top well with gunshot wounds to their heads.

While an official told DW News that the court ordered the defendants to pay compensation to the victims' families, Malay Mail reports that the judge ruled against a request for more than US$100,000 in damages, stating any compensation must be pursued through civil proceedings. Following the sentencing, Page Rhoad, the mother of Carter Rhoad, stated via Zoom that while there can never be justice for the loss of a child, the men will never hurt anyone else again.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, DW News, DW English (Top Stories), Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.