In short
- A Mexican judge 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 US friend Carter Rhoad.
- The three victims, all in their early 30s, were killed on a secluded beach in Baja California in an apparent botched robbery of their truck during a surfing trip.
- The court heard the bodies were found dumped down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads.
- The girlfriend of alleged ringleader Jesús Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a separate trial in November 2025 after admitting involvement in the robbery.
- Debra Robinson, mother of the two Australian brothers, told the courtroom the murders had taken “the future we had imagined with them”.
A Mexican judge has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend Carter Rhoad, who were killed in 2024 on a secluded beach in Baja California during a surfing trip.
How long are the sentences?
A Mexican judge imposed a sentence of 158 years and nine months in jail on each of the three convicted men. Their full names were not released for legal reasons, so they were identified in court only as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús. The guilty verdict in the case was handed down the previous week.
Who were the victims?
Jake Robinson, Callum Robinson and Carter Rhoad were all in their early 30s when they were killed. The court heard that their bodies were found dumped down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads. The three died barely 36 hours after crossing into Mexico from the United States, and their bodies were not found for another week, when their families were able to identify them.
What did the court hear about the killings?
The three friends were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck, the court heard during the trial. Authorities gave no explanation beyond saying the surfers had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The men were convicted of murdering the Australian brothers at the end of the trial. Debra Robinson, the brothers’ mother, told the courtroom that the murders had taken “the future we had imagined with them”.
What happened to the alleged ringleader’s girlfriend?
In November 2025, the girlfriend of alleged ringleader Jesús Gerardo, who is also known as “El Kekas”, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a separate trial. She had admitted to involvement in the robbery.
How did the murders affect Ensenada?
The killings shocked residents and tourists in the beach town of Ensenada, who were disturbed by the apparent ease and pointlessness of the violence. Ensenada has a reputation as a welcoming spot for surfers, and the area is usually considered safe from the violence seen in other parts of Mexico. Local surfers called for greater security for residents and visiting tourists, citing other recent examples of violence in the state. Tourism is a key part of the regional economy in Baja California.
Frequently asked questions
How long were the three men sentenced to in Mexico?
Each was sentenced to 158 years and nine months in prison for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their US friend Carter Rhoad in Baja California.
Who were Jake and Callum Robinson?
They were Australian brothers in their early 30s who were on a surfing trip in Baja California with US friend Carter Rhoad when all three were killed in 2024.
Where were the three surfers killed?
They were killed on a secluded beach in Baja California, Mexico, in an apparent botched robbery of their truck; the court heard their bodies were found dumped down a well with gunshot wounds to their heads.
What happened to the girlfriend of Jesús Gerardo?
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a separate trial in November 2025 after admitting to involvement in the robbery.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)