{
  "id": 6383264,
  "title": "‘Hell’: Father of surfers killed in Mexico testifies at trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/hell-father-of-surfers-killed-in-mexico-testifies-at-trial",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T04:21:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/09/hell-father-of-surfers-killed-in-mexico-testifies-at-trial"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Martin Robinson, father of the two Australian surfers murdered in Mexico, testified in court on Tuesday that his life has been transformed into a living hell following the loss of both his sons. Three men are facing charges for the killings of Jake Robinson, aged 33, and Callum Robinson, 30, along with their American companion, Jack Carter Rhoad. The trio had embarked on a surfing expedition to Mexico's Pacific coast in April 2024 when they were allegedly targeted in an attempted robbery.\n\nMartin Robinson described the unbearable pain of losing two sons, emphasizing that it is not only the absence of their children but also the unrealized potential and cherished memories that grieve him. He identified Callum through a tattoo on his arm and Jake through photographs, as their bodies were discovered in a cliff-top shaft with gunshot wounds to their heads.\n\nRhoad's mother, Page, likened the crime to an execution, expressing her perpetual sorrow and inability to regain her equilibrium. Carter was known to be fluent in Spanish, fond of Mexican cuisine, and had a deep appreciation for the culture and people of Mexico.\n\nTestimony revealed that one of the suspects accompanied the prosecution witness to the crime scene and fled after hearing gunshots. The witness was subsequently coerced into silence. Martin Robinson expressed his lack of resentment towards the perpetrators but lamented the inability to comprehend how they could take away the lives of two vibrant individuals.\n\nMartin Robinson's remarks resonate with the collective grief felt in Australia and the United States, leading to a social media search that ultimately led to the discovery of the surfers' bodies. The trial, which is slated to conclude by the end of September, will hear from Rhoad's widow, Natalie, on Wednesday.",
  "summary": "Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were killed during an attempted robbery while on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Pacific coast in April 2024.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Father says doctor killed in helicopter crash returned to Sarawak just two days ago",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/father-says-doctor-killed-in-helicopter-crash-returned-to-sarawak",
        "published": "2026-09-09T01:00:06.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "‘Hell’: Father of surfers killed in Mexico testifies at trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/hell-father-of-surfers-killed-in-mexico-testifies-at-trial-6383673",
        "published": "2026-09-09T04:21:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Sarawak heli crash: PM pledges assistance for victims' families",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/sarawak-heli-crash-pm-pledges-assistance-for-victims-families",
        "published": "2026-09-09T04:37:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian",
        "title": "‘It’s hell’: father of slain Australian surfers tells Mexico homicide trial about identifying sons’ bodies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/its-hell-father-of-slain-australian-surfers-tells-mexico-homicide",
        "published": "2026-09-09T04:46:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "‘It’s hell’: Father of Australian brothers killed in Mexico testifies in murder trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/its-hell-father-of-australian-brothers-killed-in-mexico-testifies-in",
        "published": "2026-09-09T06:38:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "‘It’s hell’: Father of Australian brothers killed in Mexico testifies in murder trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/its-hell-father-of-australian-brothers-killed-in-mexico-testifies-in-6392850",
        "published": "2026-09-09T06:38:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}