Three men sentenced to 158 years in Mexico for killing Australian brothers, American surfer

A Mexican court has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for killing two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip in the state of Baja California in April 2024.The sentences were handed down on Friday, a week after the defendants were found guilty of homicide, aggravated robbery, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence, a Baja California state judicial official said.The victims were Australian brothers Jake Robinson, 33, and Callum Robinson, 30, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30. They were camping and surfing near Punta San Jose, around 80 km south of Ensenada, when they were reported missing in late April 2024.The judge also ordered the three men to pay compensation to the victims' families, the official said.“There will never be justice for the loss of a child, but these men will never hurt anyone else again,” Page Rhoad, the mother of the slain American, said via Zoom after the sentencing.Bodies found in a well after days-long searchThe Robinson brothers and Rhoad disappeared during their trip to the popular surfing region in April 2024, triggering a days-long search involving Mexican authorities and the FBI.Their bodies were found on May 3 at the bottom of a water well. All three victims had gunshot wounds to the head, while the pickup truck they were travelling in was found burned several kilometres away, authorities said.The defendants were identified by authorities as Jesus Gerardo "N", known as "El Kekas", Irineo Francisco "N" and Angel Jesus "N".In November, Gisell Silva was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence in a fast-track proceeding. Silva, who was 23 at the time, had been arrested days after the foreigners' bodies were discovered.Families describe ordeal as 'hell'The families of the victims followed the legal proceedings remotely. Martin and Debra Robinson, the parents of Jake and Callum, attended the sentencing hearing online after returning to Australia last week following the initial guilty verdict.Speaking as they left one of the 24 hearings that made up the trial, the couple described their sons' deaths as "hell" and an "incredibly difficult" experience.The killings drew international attention and renewed concerns over security in Baja California, a state that attracts surfers and other tourists despite its high levels of violence.Although the Ensenada area is considered relatively safe, Baja California remains among Mexico's most violent states. Following the killings, the US State Department urged Americans to reconsider travel to the state because of crime and kidnapping risks.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.