Three defendants sentenced to 158 years in prison for surfer murders in Mexico

A judge in Mexico has sentenced each of the three defendants to 158 years and nine months in prison for killing two Australian brothers and their American friend in the state of Baja California in 2024.

The defendants had been found guilty a week earlier of aggravated homicide, qualified robbery, violent robbery, and violent vehicle theft committed against Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad.

Rhoad and the Robinson brothers were attacked on April 27, 2024, while camping in a remote coastal area near the city of Ensenada during their trip to Mexico. Shot in the head in a suspected robbery attempt, the victims' bodies were found days later in a well on a steep cliff.

Jesus Gerardo, nicknamed "El Kekas", who was accused of leading the attack, along with the other defendants Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesus, were sentenced at the conclusion of the trial. The victims' families attended the sentencing hearing via video conference.