Mexican judge sentences three men to 158 years over 2024 surfer killings

A judge in Mexico has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each. They were convicted of the 2024 killings of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend, Carter Rhoad.

The three victims were on a surf trip in Mexico's Baja California state, near the city of Ensenada. The sentenced men are identified as Jesús Gerardo, alias "El Kekas", Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús. They had been found guilty about a week before the sentencing. The convictions included homicide, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence. The BBC and the Guardian describe Jesús Gerardo as the alleged leader of the attack.

According to Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a judge in Ensenada handed down the sentences on Friday.

What happened

The victims were camping in a beach area near Ensenada on the night of 27 April 2024. The Guardian gives this as the date of the attack. Their bodies were found in a well in May 2024, about a week later. Each had gunshot wounds to the head.

According to Al Jazeera, the bodies were found on 3 May 2024 in a well more than 15 metres deep. Al Jazeera also reports that a multi-day search took place with help from the US FBI. The BBC reports that the court heard the killings were an apparent botched robbery of the victims' truck. The Guardian calls it a suspected robbery.

The BBC reports that Jesús Gerardo's girlfriend was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a separate trial in November last year. According to the BBC, she had admitted involvement in the robbery.

According to the Guardian, prosecutors sought more than $100,000 in damages. The Guardian says the judge ruled against this and said any compensation would have to be pursued through civil proceedings.

What is disputed

The outlets give different full names for the American victim: Carter Rhoad (BBC, Guardian), Jack Carter Rhoad (Al Jazeera) and Carter Redd Rhoad (SCMP). The BBC and the Guardian say the alleged ringleader's surname was withheld for legal reasons. Al Jazeera and the SCMP publish a surname. Vocemundi identifies him as Jesús Gerardo.

What each side says

• Prosecution: The Baja California State Attorney General's Office had requested an "exemplary sentence" of 210 years for each defendant, according to Al Jazeera.
• Mexican authorities: According to the BBC, their only explanation was that the surfers had been killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• Debra Robinson, the brothers' mother: According to the BBC, she told the courtroom that the murders had taken "the future we had imagined with them".
• Martin Robinson, the brothers' father: Al Jazeera quoted him as saying last week that the "guilty verdict is a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice".
• Antonio Otanez, president of the Baja California surfers' association: Al Jazeera quoted him as saying "justice has been served." He also said the killings caused a "major drop" in tourist visits, especially by surfers.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any statement from the defendants or their lawyers. They do not say whether an appeal is planned.

Analysis

The ruling closes the main criminal case, but several questions remain open. The reports do not explain why the sentence was lower than the 210 years the prosecution reportedly sought. They also do not say whether the defence will appeal. The families may now consider civil proceedings, since the judge said compensation would have to be pursued that way. The case may also add to calls for better security, which local surfers have raised. The reported fall in surf tourism is not supported by independent data in the reports. Whether the verdict affects visitor confidence in Baja California is not yet known.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.