Three men jailed for 158 years each over Baja California killings
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
The three men convicted over the killings of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad have each been sentenced to 158 years and nine months in prison. The sentence follows their guilty verdict last week and exceeds the 158 years stated in the headline; the defence has indicated it may appeal.
The three tourists were camping at a remote beach in Baja California during a surfing trip in April 2024 when they were shot dead. Their bodies were found in a clifftop shaft, and their vehicle was later found burnt out. Prosecutors said a robbery went wrong, while the defence disputed the evidence; the judge cited consistent witness testimony. The victims’ mother had asked the court for maximum sentences.
- Three men received 158 years and nine months each.
- They were convicted of killing three tourists in Baja California.
- The defence has suggested it may appeal.
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Baja California is a Mexican state on the peninsula south of the US border, known for its coastline and surfing. In April 2024, Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were camping at a remote beach there during a surfing trip.
Prosecutors said the three men were killed during a robbery attempt. Their bodies were found in a shaft near a cliff, and their vehicle was found burnt out; the defence disputed the evidence, while the judge referred to consistent witness testimony. The case drew attention in Mexico, Australia and the United States because the victims were foreign visitors and the killings took place in an isolated area.
Full account
Three men have each been sentenced to 158 years and nine months in prison for killing Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad in Mexico’s Baja California state. The sentence was handed down a week after they were found guilty. The reports identify the men as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús; one describes Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, as the ringleader.
The three friends were on a surfing trip along Mexico’s Pacific coast in April 2024. Prosecutors said they were killed during an attempt to steal their vehicle while they were camping near a remote beach. Their bodies were discovered in a shaft with gunshot wounds to the head, and their vehicle was later found burnt out. The killings unsettled residents and visitors in the Ensenada area, known as a destination for surfers, and renewed local calls for better security.
During the trial, the prosecution presented the case as a robbery that turned deadly, while the defence argued that the evidence was not sufficient to establish guilt. The judge accepted testimony from several witnesses as credible and consistent. One was Gerardo’s former girlfriend, who had separately been sentenced for her part in the robbery. She told the court that Gerardo described the victims pleading before they were killed, and later made light of their distress.
The Robinson brothers’ parents attended the proceedings. In a victim impact statement, their mother, Debra, asked for the maximum sentences and said that punishment could not bring her sons back, but that accountability mattered. The reports say the defence indicated it might appeal. The case drew particular attention in Australia, while coverage also stressed the shock among people in the Baja California community and the region’s dependence on tourism.
Where outlets differ
One report says the trio were sentenced to “life in prison” before giving the precise term of 158 years and nine months each; the other leads with that exact sentence.
The accounts describe the place where the bodies were found differently: one calls it a clifftop shaft, while the other says a well.
One report gives the verdict date as 9 October and describes the parents’ presence and reaction in court. The other focuses more on the community’s response, the region’s reputation with surfers and calls for improved security.
The first report says the defence suggested an appeal, attributing that information to ABC News; the second says the defence indicated it might appeal without naming the outlet.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Three men sentenced to 158 years in prison each for murdering Aussie brothers at Mexican surf hotspot”.