Mexico sentences killers of US, Australian surfers to 158 years each in prison
Three Mexican men were found guilty last week of murdering foreign surfers in 2024. The case had drawn global condemnation, particularly in Australia, where two of the victims were from.
A court in Mexico has sentenced three men to more than 158 years in prison each for the murders of two Australian surfers and their American friend in 2024. The trio, Jesus Gerardo, Irineo Francisco, and Angel Jesus, were found guilty of homicide, aggravated robbery, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence. The victims, Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, and their American friend Carter Rhoad, were killed during an attempted robbery while on a surfing trip on Mexico's Pacific coast.
The trio was camping in a remote beachside area near Ensenada when they were attacked on April 27, 2024. Their bodies were found days later, dumped in a cliff-top well with gunshot wounds to their heads. The killings sent shockwaves through Ensenada, a popular surfing destination. Despite Mexico's ongoing struggles with insecurity, the area where the murders occurred was deemed safe for tourists.
The victims' families expressed deep sorrow, with Page Rhoad, Carter Rhoad's mother, stating, "There will never be justice for the loss of a child, but these men will never hurt anyone else again." The Robinsons' parents traveled to Mexico for the trial and left after the initial guilty verdict.
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