Three men have been convicted in the brutal killings of two Australian brothers and their American friend, whose disappearance on a Mexico surf trip sparked an international search before their bodies were found dumped in a well.
A judge in Ensenada on Friday found JesĂșs Gerardo GarcĂa, known as “El Kekas,” Irineo Francisco “N,” and Ăngel JesĂșs “N,” guilty of murdering Callum and Jake Robinson, along with their friend Carter Rhoad, in Baja, California, in April 2024, The Associated Press reported.
The men were also convicted of armed robbery and armed carjacking. Judge RaĂșl HernĂĄndez is scheduled to announce their sentences Oct. 16, with the Baja California State Attorney Generalâs Office seeking 210 years in prison for each defendant, according to the AP.
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The verdicts followed a month-long trial that included testimony about one victim pleading for his life before the killings.
GarcĂaâs former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, testified that he told her he approached the surfersâ tent carrying a 9mm pistol, the AP reported. The men threw their belongings toward him in an effort to stop the attack, and one begged to be spared, she said.
According to her testimony, GarcĂa ignored the plea.
The friends had traveled to Baja, California, to surf and were reported missing after arriving in Punta San Jose, about 50 miles from Ensenada. Their bodies were discovered in a well May 3, 2024.
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Authorities initially said the men were killed after confronting thieves who wanted the tires from their pickup truck.
Chief state prosecutor MarĂa Elena Andrade RamĂrez said at the time that investigators believed the thieves spotted the truck and tents, then encountered resistance from the surfers during the attempted theft.
GarcĂa allegedly told his girlfriend he had done something to “three gringos” before admitting, “I killed them,” according to the BBCâs account of a May 2024 court hearing.
She also said he showed her a vehicle fitted with tires allegedly stolen from the victimsâ truck.
Silva Raya was found with one victimâs cellphone. Prosecutors said she met the surfers April 27, 2024, and urged one of her companions to rob them, the AP reported.
She pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2025. GarcĂa and the other two men went to trial.
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The guilty verdicts brought a measure of relief to the Robinson family more than two years after the brothersâ deaths.
Their father, Martin Robinson, described the decision as a significant moment in the familyâs painful pursuit of justice, according to the AP. He said the outcome could not undo their loss but offered a step toward justice as they continued honoring the three men.
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The brothersâ mother, Debra Robinson, spoke about their love of surfing during a tribute on a San Diego beach shortly after their bodies were found.
“Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place for us,” she said at the time. “They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together.”
She recalled that Jake, a doctor, sought work at hospitals near surfing beaches and urged others to honor her sons by embracing life.
“Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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