3 men sentenced to 158 years in Mexico for murders of American, Australian surfers
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Ary Gisell Silva Raya was sentenced to 20 years in connection with the 2024 murders of Jack Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson, and Jake Robinson.
LOS ANGELES - A Mexican judge has sentenced three men to more than 158 years in prison each for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and American Carter Redd Rhoad during a coastal surfing trip.
The landmark ruling delivers judicial closure to the families after the high-profile beach ambush exposed major safety concerns for foreign tourists and severely impacted Baja California's coastal economy.
What we know:
A judge in the coastal city of Ensenada, Baja California, sentenced Jesus Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesu each to 158 years and nine months in prison. The ruling follows their convictions for murder, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence.
A fourth individual, Ary Gisell Silva Raya—the romantic partner of one of the gunmen—pleaded guilty to robbery with violence and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after agreeing to an abbreviated trial.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Woman linked to murders of American, Australian surfers in Mexico sentenced to 20 years in prison
Prosecutors stated that Silva Raya initiated contact with the three foreigners in Punta San José and instigated her companions to rob them before being caught in possession of a victim's cellphone.
Mexican woman sentenced in death of 3 surfers
A Mexican woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2024 killings of three surfers.
The backstory:
The three victims—33-year-old Callum Robinson, 30-year-old Jake Robinson, and 30-year-old Jack Carter Rhoad—traveled from California to Baja California in late April 2024 for a surfing trip along a stretch of coast south of Ensenada.
On the night of April 27, 2024, the men set up camp on the beach. Early the following morning, attackers drove by in an older-model pickup truck and attempted to steal the tires and parts from the surfers' Chevy Colorado pickup truck.
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When the victims attempted to resist the carjacking, the assailants shot all three men dead, burned their tents, and dumped their bodies into a board-covered, 50-foot-deep well near Santo Tomás alongside a fourth, unrelated body.
Parents ID bodies of murdered surfers
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, 30 and 33, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, disappeared on 27 April while on a surfing trip in Ensenada.
Following a multi-day search involving state authorities and navy support, rescue crews winched the remains from the pit on May 3, 2024.
Dig deeper:
The tragedy echoed a similar 2015 incident in Sinaloa state, where Australian surfers Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were murdered by highway bandits.
Following the deaths of the Robinson brothers and Rhoad, local residents and surfers staged demonstrations in Ensenada's main plaza carrying signs reading "They only wanted to surf — we demand safe beaches" and "Ensenada is a mass grave."
Theft linked to be reason 3 surfers targeted
Theft was linked to be the reason the three surfers, who have since been presumed dead, were targeted during their Mexico trip.
Local leaders noted that while the court decisions deliver legal closure, the incident severely harmed the region's tourist-dependent economy, which drew tens of millions of foreign visitors annually.
What they're saying:
Baja California Chief State Prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez detailed the moments of terror that led to the slayings during a press conference.
"The attackers drove by in their vehicle," Andrade Ramírez said. "They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tires and other parts to put them on the older-model pickup they were driving. When they came up and caught them, surely, they resisted. And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too."
Martin Robinson, the father of Callum and Jake Robinson, spoke to reporters following the courtroom proceedings.
"Today’s guilty verdict is a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beautiful sons, Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad, whose lives were so cruelly taken from them in 2024," Martin Robinson said.
3 surfers presumed dead in Mexico
Authorities are working to confirm if the three bodies found in Mexico were of the missing surfers.
Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California Surfer's Association, reacted to the judicial outcome while reflecting on the broader impact on the coastal region.
He stated that "justice has been served," but acknowledged that the killings caused a "major drop" in tourist visits, particularly by surfers, to the region known for its beautiful beaches.
What's next:
The guilty verdicts, historic 158-year prison terms, and 20-year sentence for the primary accomplice conclude the formal judicial proceedings in Mexico against those responsible for the attack.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by Baja California Chief State Prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez, official judicial sentencing records from the Baja California State Prosecutor's Office, municipal statements from Ensenada Mayor Carlos Ibarra Aguiar, and direct courtroom statements provided by Martin Robinson and Baja California Surfers' Association President Antonio Otañez. The Associated Press and FOX News contributed.