Three men have gone on trial in Mexico for the alleged murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend, two years after the killings at a surfing destination on the country's Pacific coast.
Australian brothers Callum Robinson, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, along with their 30-year-old American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, were on a surfing trip to Baja California state in April 2024 when they were shot dead.
The three men had been camping in a remote beachside area when they were allegedly attacked. Their bodies were found dumped in a well or cliff-top shaft several days after they went missing, each with gunshot wounds to the head. A pickup truck belonging to the group was found burned nearby.
Authorities allege the men were killed during an attempt to steal their vehicle. Prosecutors are seeking jail sentences of more than 200 years for each of the three defendants, as well as an additional 168-year sentence for the alleged ringleader. The defendants also face charges of violent robbery and auto theft. The defence has argued there is not enough evidence to support the prosecution's theory.
The trial opened in the coastal city of Ensenada before a judge, with no jury. It is expected to last four weeks, with dozens of witnesses scheduled to give evidence.
On the opening day, the accused — identified as Jesús "El Kekas" Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús — were moved to a smaller courtroom amid reports that some witnesses had been intimidated by people associated with the defendants.
Three witnesses appeared before the court on the first day, including the stepson of one of the defendants, who described his stepfather as violent. Testifying from an adjoining room with his face concealed, he said he had accompanied the accused to the crime scene and waited nearby when the incident began.
"I heard a lot of noise," he said, adding that he had run away but rejoined the group after they called him. He said they warned him that "the same thing that happened to the gringos would happen to him" if he said anything.
The parents of the Robinson brothers, Martin and Debra Robinson, travelled to Ensenada for the proceedings. Debra Robinson was seen staring at the accused before bursting into tears in the courtroom.
"It's about representing our sons, being here for them. I know they want us to be here," Martin Robinson told reporters. "We want to find out what happened. We want to find out why."
In a written statement, the couple said: "We want the men accused of murdering our sons to see, in person, the human consequences of what happened. Callum and Jake were not simply victims in a case file — they were our sons, deeply loved by their family and friends, with lives, dreams and futures that were brutally taken away."
They described attending the trial as "incredibly important and overwhelmingly difficult."
Callum Robinson was a member of Australia's national lacrosse team and lived in San Diego, where he played professionally. His brother Jake had travelled from Australia for the surf trip and was due to begin working as a doctor upon his return. Rhoad was killed a few months before he was set to marry.
The killings sparked outrage and grief in both Australia and the United States, where the victims' friends and families mounted a major search effort on social media after the men went missing.
This is not the first conviction linked to the case. The ex-girlfriend of one of the accused, Ari Gisell, was convicted last year and sentenced to 20 years in prison for her role in the murders.
Baja California is one of Mexico's most violent states, affected by organised crime and drug trafficking, though cartel activity does not typically target tourists. The killings nonetheless shocked many residents of Ensenada, which is generally considered a peaceful surf town.
Other foreign visitors have been targeted in criminal attacks on Mexico's Pacific coast. Two Australian surfers, Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, were murdered in 2015 while travelling through the north-western state of Sinaloa. Their bodies were later burned.
