Three men in Mexico received 158-year prison sentences Friday for the murders of Australian surfers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Redd Rhoad.
A federal judge in the town of Ensenada, Baja California sentenced Jesús Gerardo García, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús each to 158 years and nine months in prison for murder, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.
An accomplice of García’s — Ary Gisell Silva Raya — was also convicted of aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence and sentenced to 20 years in November after agreeing to an abbreviated trial.
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García, Francisco and Jesús were convicted last week of killing the Robinson brothers and Rhoad, which authorities said was carried out in order to steal the tires from the deceased men’s truck.
“The attackers pull out a gun they were carrying and kill the person who initially resisted the robbery, then on the other two,” Baja California prosecutor María Elena Andrade said, according to a report from The Associated Press.
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Mexican authorities found the trio’s bodies in a well in the state of Baja California in May 2024.
The three men traveled to Punta San José, about 50 miles from where their bodies were found in Ensenada, for a surfing trip in April 2024.
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The parents of the Robinsons attended the sentencing, telling reporters the moment marked a significant conclusion to the tragic two years since their sons’ deaths.
“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,” Matin Robinson said.
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The deaths captured international attention and rocked the local economy, which authorities said was heavily reliant on tourism.
Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers association, said he was happy to see justice served but admitted the incident led to a “major drop” in tourism.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
