The trial of three men accused of killing two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surf trip in Mexico is underway, with family members delivering emotional testimony in a small Mexican courtroom.
Jake and Callum Robinson, two brothers from Australia, and their friend Carter Rhoad from the United States, disappeared in late April 2024 while traveling along Mexico’s Pacific coast. The trio had embarked on a multi-day surfing and camping trip from San Diego, California, passing through Rosarito and Ensenada. A fourth companion returned to the U.S. for work, leaving Jake, Callum, and Carter to continue southward. Concerns escalated when their friends were unable to contact them, and by May 1—Callum Robinson’s birthday—the families were officially notified of their disappearance.
Prospective leads emerged when a group of volunteers, including another son of Page Rhoad, Carter’s mother, traveled to Mexico to aid in the search. They discovered the friends’ last known campsite, finding a burned tent, scattered personal belongings, and a significant amount of blood. Days later, the victims’ bodies were recovered from a well.
In court, Crown witnesses recounted the harrowing impact of the loss. Martin Robinson, father of Jake and Callum, spoke with restrained grief, emphasizing the void left by the deaths of his sons. “It’s hard enough for a parent to lose one child but we lost two in horrific circumstances,” he said, reflecting on the potential futures and lives cut short. Robinson stated he does not harbor anger toward the accused but struggles to comprehend how anyone could extinguish two promising lives.
Page Rhoad described identifying her son’s body, which bore three gunshot wounds—two to the head and one to the arm. She characterized the killing as an execution. Rhoad appeared via video link from the United States and said another son participated in the search party effort.
The defendants—Jesus Gerardo, Irine Francisco, and Angel Jesus—have remained silent in court, having not entered pleas. Prosecutors allege the men killed the group to steal their iPhones and car tires, framing the murders as opportunistic crimes.
The trial is expected to extend for at least a month, with further testimony and evidence to come as the court seeks to uncover the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the three young men.