A federal judge in Ensenada, Baja California, sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison on Friday for the murders of Australian surfers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Redd Rhoad. The convictions cover the crimes of murder, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence.
The defendants, Jesús Gerardo García, Irineo Francisco, and Ángel Jesús, were found guilty last week. Authorities stated the killings were committed to steal the tires from the men's truck. María Elena Andrade, the prosecutor for Baja California, described the sequence of events, noting that the attackers used a gun to kill the individual who first resisted the robbery before killing the other two. According to Andrade, the violence was specifically tied to the initial resistance to the theft.
A fourth defendant, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, identified as an accomplice to García, was also convicted. In November, Silva Raya received a 20-year sentence for aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence after agreeing to an abbreviated trial. This sentence is significantly shorter than that of the three men convicted of murder.
The victims had traveled to Punta San José in April 2024 for a surfing trip. The location is approximately 50 miles from Ensenada, where Mexican authorities discovered their bodies in a well in May 2024. The case attracted international attention and impacted the local economy, which officials said relies heavily on tourism. Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers association, acknowledged that the incident caused a "major drop" in tourism while expressing satisfaction that justice had been served.
Matin Robinson, father of Callum and Jake Robinson, attended the sentencing alongside the family of Carter Rhoad. He stated that the guilty verdict marked a significant moment in their two-year pursuit of justice for their sons and their friend. The families described the period since the deaths as a long and painful journey.