Motive revealed in killing of two Australian and American surfers in Mexico: Everything we know
The bodies of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and American, Jack Carter Rhoad, were dumped in a well
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Two Australians and one American were killed while on a surfing trip in Mexico’s Baja peninsula after thieves targeted the group of friends for their truck tires, Mexican authorities have revealed.
The bodies of Australian brothers Jake, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, from San Diego, California, were dumped down a well in a remote area around four miles from where they were shot in the head.
Chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez said on Sunday that she believed the killers drove by and saw the surfers’ pickup truck and tents, and wanted to steal their tires. But “when (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted,” she added.
The prosecutor said that the relatives had viewed the bodies recovered from a remote well about 50 feet deep, and recognized them as their loved ones.
Three suspects are being held in connection with the case.
Here’s everything we know so far.
An epic surfing trip turns deadly
The three men were on a camping and surfing trip along a stretch of coast, south of the city of Ensenada. They had been posting idyllic photos on social media of waves and isolated beaches before they went missing on 27 April.
The mother of the missing Australians, Debra Robinson, had posted on a local community Facebook page, appealing for help in finding her sons after she had not heard from them. The friends had booked accommodation in the city of Rosarito, not far from Ensenada, but never showed up.
Prosecutor Andrade Ramírez said on Sunday that the site where the bodies were discovered, near the township of Santo Tomás, was a remote seaside area. Their missing tents and truck were found on Thursday along the coast.
“When they tried to get the vehicles, the victims opposed the robbery,” she said. “The robbers were armed with a firearm and then apparently shot the victims.”
The thieves then allegedly went to what she called “a site that is extremely hard to get to” and dumped the bodies into a well, they apparently were familiar with, and covered the hole with boards.
“It was literally almost impossible to find it,” Ms Andrade Ramírez said. She aded that it took two hours to winch the bodies out of the well.
A fourth body was found with the young men. It is believed to be the remains of a rancher who owned the property and went missing two weeks earlier. His death is not believed to be linked to the case, authorities said.
Ms Andrade Ramírez said investigators were not ruling out the possibility that the same suspects dumped the fourth body in the well as part of a previous crime.
Three Mexican citizens arrested
Investigators announced that three Mexican citizens had been charged with a crime equivalent to kidnapping in connection with the tourists’ disappearance.
They are Jesús Gerardo, whose alias is “el Kekas” is slang word that means “quesadillas”; his partner Ari Gisel García Cota; and Jesús’ brother, Cristian Alejandro Garcia. They have not been charged with murder.
Prosecutors said they were questioning three people in connection with the killings. Two of the suspects were also caught with methamphetamines.
In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California — also known as the Sea of Cortez — from the Baja peninsula. Authorities said they were victims of highway bandits. Three suspects were arrested in that case.
Surfers question safety of Mexico coast
From the surfers’ last social media posts, their trip looked picture perfect.
But even experienced local expatriates are questioning whether it is safe to camp along the largely deserted coast anymore, The Associated Press reported.
The moderator of the local Talk Baja internet forum, who has lived in the area for almost two decades, wrote in an editorial on Saturday that “the reality is, the dangers of traveling to and camping in remote areas are outweighing the benefits anymore.”
Randy Dible, a San Diego photographer, and friend of Callum Robinson’s recalled how he told him about his favorite surfing spot in Baja, La Bocana, and wrote out directions on a napkin, according to the New York Post.
Mr Dible said he almost tagged along on the trip but had to cancel when a last-minute job came in, Mr Dible toldThe Australian.
“I told him about this place because I’d been traveling down there all over that country for 30 years so I know it like the back of my hand and I knew just where to go,” the friend said. “And he was murdered in the exact same spot.”
He said that he now regrets ever mentioning the surfing spot to Callum. “I wish I’d never met up with him that day, I feel really bad. I feel guilty. It’s just starting to hit home.”
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers expressed sympathy for the Robinson family.
“I think the whole country’s heart goes out to all of their loved ones. It has been an absolutely horrendous, absolutely horrific ordeal and our thoughts are with all of them today,” he said at a news conference on Monday in the capital Canberra.
American surfer was due to get married in just three months
Jack Carter Rhoad, the American slain in Mexico, was just months away from marrying his fiancée, Natalie Wiertz, when he joined the two Australian brothers for the surfing trip.
A photo on Rhoad’s Facebook page shows the moment the couple got engaged. They were set to get married on 17 August in Ohio, according to their wedding website.
In the wake of the murders, the couple’s friend, Aubrey Byers, created a GoFundMe page for two purposes, she wrote.
“The first is to rally support for Natalie during this unimaginably difficult time and provide essentials such as housing, food, transportation, and more,” the friend wrote.
“The second is to honor Carter by raising money for scholarships and donations he felt passionate about. No donation is too small, and every contribution is deeply appreciated.”
Girlfriend of slain surfer says ‘heart is shattered into a million pieces’
Callum Robinson’s girlfriend, Emily Horwath, who lives in San Diego, revealed that her “heart is shattered into a million pieces” after his death.
“My heart is shattered into a million pieces,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her and Mr Robinson hugging.
“You are one of one. I will love you forever,” she captioned another photo.
A separate GoFundMe is dedicated to the Australian brothers.
“In the wake of the heartbreaking loss of Callum Robinson and Jake Robinson, our hearts ache with grief for their families, friends, and community. Their presence brought immeasurable joy, love, and kindness to those around them, leaving a mark on our lives,” it reads.
“In honor of their memory and the support of their families, we’ve created this GoFundMe page to rally around Martin and Debra Robinson during this unimaginably difficult time. Your generosity will assist with essentials such as housing, food, transportation, and more. No donation is too small, and every contribution is deeply appreciated.”
The brothers had attended the Coachella music festival before heading to Mexico to surf.
“Jake is such a gentle soul and would want no harm,” his parents said in a statement. “Our only comfort right now is that they were together doing something they passionately love.
“We ask people to keep them in their thoughts and prayers and to continue to respect our privacy at this distressing time.”
‘Ensenada is a mass grave’
At the news conference, Ms Andrade Ramírez was questioned by one reporter who commended the large and widespread search for the foreigners, but asked why, when local people often disappear in the area, little is often done for weeks, months, or years.
“Do you have to be a foreigner in Baja California in order for there to be an investigation if something happens to you?′ asked the reporter, who did not identify herself by name, according to the Associated Press.
“Every investigation is different,” Ms Andrade Ramírez replied.
Dozens of mourners, surfers and demonstrators gathered in a main plaza in Ensenada to voice their anger and sadness at the deaths.
“Ensenada is a mass grave,” read one placard carried by protesters.
“Australia, we are with you,” one man scrawled on one of the half-dozen surf boards at the demonstration.
Gabriela Acosta, a surfer who attended the protest, said she came “to show love, solidarity and respect for the three lives that were lost.” Ms Acosta said that surfers in Baja are aware of the dangers.
“We are women and we would sometimes like to surf alone,” Ms Acosta said. “But we never do that, because of the situation. We always have to go accompanied.”
“I think that what happened to them is just an example of the lack of safety in this state,” she said.
A woman held up a sign that read: “They only wanted to surf — we demand safe beaches.”
Surfers later led a “paddle-out” ceremony where they formed a circle on their boards in the ocean to pay their respects to the dead.