Three Men Trial Over Allegent Murders of Australian Surfers Begins in Mexico

Tue Sep 08 2026 06:10:38 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Trial starts in Ensenada for alleged murders of two Australian surfers and an American friend in Baja California, with prosecutors seeking over 200 years in prison.

A four‑week judge‑only trial has begun in Ensenada after three men were charged with the murder of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend. The bodies were discovered in a well, each with gunshot wounds. Prosecutors are seeking sentences that exceed 200 years and additional penalties for the alleged robbery. Families of the victims are present in court, and witnesses are expected to testify amid concerns over intimidation. The case highlights the rarity of violent crime against tourists in Baja California’s surf towns.

Three men have gone on trial in Mexico for the shot and malice murder of two Australian brothers and an American friend in 2024.

The bodies of Callum Robinson, his younger brother Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad from California—all in their early 30s—were found tainted by landfall in a well with gunshot wounds to the head, days after they vanished while surfing in Baja California.

Prosecutors are pursuing jail sentences that would together exceed 200 years for the defendants, who also face charges of violent robbery and auto theft.

The parents of the brothers were present on Tuesday in the coastal town of Ensenada and said the situation was “incredibly important and overwhelmingly difficult.” They also emphasized that their sons were valued as more than case files, expressing hope that a criminal judgment would bring a tangible sense of consequence to the accused.

On the opening day the accused—Jesús “El Kekas” Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús—were moved from a larger courtroom amid accusations that some witnesses had been threatened by associates of the defendants. Dozens of witnesses are slated to give testimony in a four‑week judge‑only trial.

The killings of the Robinson brothers and their U.S. friend shocked the Australian community as well as residents of Ensenada, which is normally regarded as a peaceful surf town, despite frequently reported cartel violence in neighboring border states.

The ex‑girlfriend of one of the accused, Ari Gisell, was the first to be convicted in last year’s murder case and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement.

Mexican prosecutors are demanding jail sentences that total more than 200 years for each suspect and an additional 168‑year sentence for the alleged ringleader. They assert the motive was a bungled robbery, a hypothesis that the defence counters due to insufficient evidence.

Callum Robinson had been playing lacrosse for Australia’s national squad and lived in San Diego, where he was a professional player. His younger brother Jake had traveled from Australia for the surfing trip and was scheduled to start a medical career; their friend Rhoad was murdered a few months before his wedding.