Mexico: Surfers found dead in well were shot in head (2024)

Three tourists found dead in Mexico were shot in the head and their bodies dumped in a well, authorities have confirmed.

Officials believe the men were attacked trying to stop the theft of their pickup truck.

Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, 30 and 33, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, disappeared on 27 April while on a surfing trip in Ensenada.

Relatives of the three men identified their bodies on Sunday after travelling to Mexico to assist authorities, a state prosecutor said.

The attackers wanted the vehicle for its tyres and shot the tourists when they resisted, Baja California state prosecutor Maria Andrade suggested.

Their bodies were found in a 4m (15ft) deep well about 6km (4 miles) from the site of the attack in the town of Santo Tomás on Friday.

Abandoned tents, a burnt white pickup truck and a phone linked to the missing surfers were found nearby.

A fourth body was found in the well, but had been there longer and was unconnected to the case, officials said.

Two men and a woman have been detained on suspicion of direct or indirect involvement in the attack. One man with a previous criminal record has been charged with "forced disappearance".

Earlier, the FBI said it was looking into the case and was in touch with international partners.

Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states, as local drug gangs fight turf wars.

In 2023, it had the country's second highest murder rate, after the state of Guanajuato, according to official figures.

National Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said earlier this year that 85-90% of murders committed in Baja California were linked to drug trafficking and organised crime.

But the Ensenada area, about 120km (75 miles) south of the US-Mexico border and known for its surfing conditions, is considered safer and has long attracted tourists from California.

The brothers' parents - Deborah and Martin Robinson - said Callum had been living in the US, chasing his dream of becoming a professional lacrosse player.

Jake was on "the trip of lifetime" to visit him before starting a new job in Victoria as a doctor, they said on Friday.

“Callum and Jake are beautiful human beings. We love them so much and this breaks our heart.”

Friends of the brothers have also flooded social media with tributes.

Callum's teammates at Stevenson University Lacrosse club said the athlete was a larger-than-life personality.

"With his beautiful long hair and charming smile, he truly embodied the nickname ‘big koala’ - warm, friendly, and always there to lend a helping hand," a statement from the club said.

His girlfriend, Emily Horwath, said her heart was "shattered into a million pieces".

"I don’t have the words right now... I will love you forever," she wrote in a post on Instagram, alongside pictures of the couple.

Carter Rhoad's social media accounts showed happy snaps of him proposing to his partner less than a year ago.

A fundraiser set up by friends of his family said he and the Robinson brothers had "brought immeasurable joy, love, and kindness" to the world.

Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the country was thinking of the Robinson family.

"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.

The killings have sparked fear and anger in the Ensenada region.

Scores of protesters marched through the city on Sunday, carrying surfboards plastered with slogans written in Spanish.

“They only wanted to surf - we demand safe beaches," one said. "Australia we are with you," another said.

A group of surfers later performed a “paddle-out” ceremony, an ocean vigil to honour the trio.

It is not the first time that Australian surfers have been killed while holidaying in Mexico.

In 2016, Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman were murdered in north-western Sinaloa state when they fought back during an attempted robbery.

Their bodies were found in their burnt-out camper van weeks later.

On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Mexico’s foreign ministry said that Mexico’s ambassador to Australia had traveled to Baja California to work with Australian consular officials and help the families of the victims.

State Department figures show that at least 1.6 million US citizens live in Mexico, which is also the top destination for US tourists globally, with more than 30 million visitors in 2022.

In 2022 - the last year for which State Department data is fully available - 192 Americans died in Mexico, of which 46 were ruled as homicides.

Mexico: Surfers found dead in well were shot in head (2024)

FAQs

Mexico: Surfers found dead in well were shot in head? ›

The human remains were recovered from a 50-foot well. Relatives identified the three men as Jake and Callum Robinson and Jack Carter Rhoad. According to Mexican authorities, it's suspected that the victims were killed after an attempt to steal their truck for its tires.

Why were the surfers killed in Mexico? ›

Mexican authorities say their primary theory is that it was a senseless, spontaneous crime — thieves trying to make off with the tyres on their ute. Somehow, this relatively petty act escalated into the murder of three young men on a deserted patch of land.

Why were the surfers executed? ›

Mexican prosecutors allege the three men were killed trying to fight off the suspects. "When they (the foreigners) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted," she said.

How were Jake and Callum Robinson killed? ›

Their bodies were found with gunshot wounds to the head and at the bottom of a deep well. A fourth set of human remains discovered in the well were believed to be unrelated to the incident in the northern Mexican state of Baja California, a popular tourist destination that is also plagued by cartel violence.

Who were the surfers found in the Mexican well? ›

Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were found dead at the bottom of a 15-metre well about six kilometres away from their camping site. They had each been shot in the head, the State Attorney General's Office of Baja California said.

How were the surfers killed? ›

The medical examiner in Baja California shared that they each died from one bullet wound to the head. Callum lived in Ocean Beach, where Jake was visiting him, though the brothers are from Australia. Rhoad lived in Point Loma. The Robinsons' parents went to Ocean Beach and shared an emotional statement with the media.

Who were the bodies found in Mexico surfing? ›

Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, 30 and 33, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, disappeared on 27 April while on a surfing trip in Ensenada. Relatives of the three men identified their bodies on Sunday after travelling to Mexico to assist authorities, a state prosecutor said.

How were the Robinson brothers killed? ›

Mexican police allege the three men were shot in the head by locals attempting to steal the tyres from their pick-up truck. Their bodies were found at the bottom of a well, a short distance from the campsite. Callum (left) and Jake (right) Robinson were killed while on a surfing trip in Mexico.

What happened to the Robinson brothers in Mexico? ›

Jake and Callum Robinson, as well as American Carter Rhoad, were surfing and camping in a remote part of northern Mexico when they were shot dead. Their bodies were later found in a 15-metre well a short distance from their campsite.

Who killed Robinson Brothers? ›

Jesús Gerardo appeared in court in Ensenada, accused of killing brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their friend Carter Rhoad. More on: Mexico. Courts and Trials.

Where have most surfers died? ›

Hawaii still is the most dangerous region in the world when it comes to dying while surfing. In particular, Oahu's North Shore claimed a few lives. The good news is that today, life-saving standards are higher, and the precautions are numerous.

Who was the girlfriend of Surfer killed in Mexico? ›

Days after Australian surfer Callum Robinson, his brother Jake Robinson and his friend Jack Carter Rhoad were discovered dead in Baja California, Mexico, Callum's girlfriend, Emily Horwath, is speaking out. Over the last several days, Horwath has been using social media to memorialize her beloved Callum.

What happened to surfers in Mexico? ›

They had all been shot, authorities said. The friends were last seen on April 27 while they were surfing and camping out along the Mexican coast, south of Ensenada. They pitched tents and parked their white pickup truck nearby so they could surf the cerulean waves. But they weren't out there alone.

What was the motive for the death of the three surfers? ›

The trio had been camping in a remote beachside area when they were killed in what investigators believe was an attempt to steal their pickup truck. Their bodies were found in a cliff-top shaft with bullet wounds to the head.

How were the three surfers in Mexico killed? ›

Mexican prosecutors said the three men were shot and killed trying to fight off carjackers who had targeted them to steal the tires from their truck. Their bodies were found in a remote well about 50 feet deep in a rugged hillside area near Ensenada.

What happened to the two aussies in Mexico? ›

Perth-born Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, and American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were reported missing last week while camping in the notorious state of Baja California. Their bodies were among four found 15m down a hidden well over the weekend, which was located near the last known campsite of the trio.

What happened to the Australian men in Mexico? ›

The three men were killed during a camping and surfing trip along Mexico's Pacific coast. Mexican authorities have confirmed the deaths of an American and two Australians who went missing in northern Mexico last week after the tourists' parents identified their bodies.

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