Mexican Court Convicts Three Men in Brutal Murders of Australian Brothers and American Surfer

Clear Facts

• Three Mexican men were convicted of murdering two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip in Baja California.
• The victims were Callum Robinson, Jake Robinson, and Carter Rhoad, whose bodies were recovered from a well in May 2024.
• Judge Raúl Hernández is scheduled to sentence the convicted men to 210 years each on October 16.

The convictions mark the conclusion of a month-long trial that exposed the violent robbery of three young men who had traveled to Mexico to enjoy the waves along the Baja coast. The court found Jesús Gerardo García, known as “El Kekas,” and two other men guilty of murder, armed robbery, and armed carjacking.

Key testimony came from García’s former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, who recounted how the defendants ignored a victim’s plea for his life. She described García approaching the surfers’ tent with a 9mm pistol, prompting the men to throw their belongings in an attempt to stop the attack.

“I killed them,” García later admitted to his girlfriend, according to court records.

The three friends had arrived in Punta San Jose in April 2024 and were reported missing shortly after setting up camp. Their bodies were discovered in a well on May 3, prompting an international outcry and renewed calls for stronger protections for travelers in Mexico.

Prosecutors initially believed the men were targeted after thieves attempted to steal tires from their pickup truck and met resistance. García reportedly showed Silva Raya the stolen tires fitted to another vehicle.

Silva Raya was later found in possession of one victim’s cellphone. She pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and vehicle theft and received a 20-year sentence in November 2025.

The Robinson family expressed relief at the verdicts. Martin Robinson, father of the Australian brothers, said the ruling represented a significant step in their pursuit of justice, though it could not undo their loss.

“Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place for us,” Debra Robinson said at a tribute held on a San Diego beach shortly after the bodies were recovered. “They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together.”

She recalled that Jake, a doctor, sought hospital work near surfing beaches and urged others to honor her sons by embracing life fully.

“Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory,” she said.

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