Law & Justice
Australian surfers' father tells Mexico trial of 'hell'
The father of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson told a Mexican court on September 8 that his life had been turned into “hell” after his sons and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were killed during a surfing trip in 2024.
Three men are on trial in Ensenada over the deaths of Jake Robinson, 30, Callum Robinson, 33, and Rhoad, 30, on Mexico's Pacific coast in April 2024.
Authorities say the three men were killed during an attempted robbery aimed at stealing their pickup truck. Their bodies were found several days after they went missing, dumped in a cliff-top shaft with gunshot wounds to their heads. The pickup was later found burned near their bodies.
Martin Robinson testified that it was hard for a parent to lose a son and that he and his wife had lost two. He also described identifying Callum by a tattoo on his forearm and said identifying Jake was more difficult and required photographs.
Rhoad's mother, Page, compared the crime to an execution. She told the court she missed her son every day and said he had loved Mexico, spoke fluent Spanish and loved Mexican food, dancing and its people.
A protected witness testified on September 7 that they had accompanied one of the defendants to the crime scene, fled after hearing gunshots and were later threatened into silence.
The killings caused outrage and grief in Australia and the United States, where friends and relatives used social media to help search for the surfers. The trial is expected to run until the end of September, and Rhoad's widow, Natalie, is scheduled to testify on Wednesday.
Update
Martin Robinson testified that losing his two sons was “hell” and described identifying their bodies.
Jack Carter Rhoad's mother Page testified and compared the crime to an execution.
Rhoad's widow Natalie is scheduled to testify on Wednesday.
The trial is expected to run until the end of September.
Source note: AFP news report published on 9 September 2026 at 03:41:12 UTC.
Update
The opening day of the trial in Ensenada lasted around eight hours.
Martin Robinson is expected to testify on Tuesday.
Martin Robinson told AFP the proceedings are expected to conclude within about a month and a half.
The source adds that charges for enforced disappearance previously faced by the accused known as “El Kekas” were eventually dropped.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 05:42:23 UTC.
Update
Three witnesses appeared before the court on Monday.
A stepson of one defendant testified with his face concealed and said he had accompanied the accused to the crime scene but waited nearby.
The witness said he heard noise, ran away, rejoined the group after they called him, and was warned not to speak about what happened.
Debra Robinson stared at the accused and cried in the courtroom.
Source note: AFP news report published on 8 September 2026 at 00:30:40 UTC.
Update
Authorities say the three victims were murdered during an attempt to steal their pickup truck, which was found burned near their bodies.
The bodies were found in a cliff-top shaft and had gunshot wounds to the head.
Ary Gisell Silva, the girlfriend of one accused man, was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year after admitting she instigated the robbery to steal the pickup's tires.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 17:37:52 UTC.
Update
The trial began in Ensenada, Mexico.
Three men are on trial for homicide.
The Robinsons' parents attended the start of the trial and spoke to reporters.
The victims had been camping in a remote beachside area when they were attacked, and their bodies were found hidden on a cliff.
The girlfriend of one accused was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year after admitting she instigated the robbery.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 16:47:12 UTC.
Update
The victims were Australian brothers Jake Robinson, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, and their 30-year-old American friend Jack Carter Rhoad.
The three surfers were shot dead after being robbed in Baja California.
The trial opened in the border resort where the three were murdered.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 16:31:42 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The defendants' guilt has not been established in the supplied material.
The protected witness's account is testimony and has not been independently established in the supplied material.
Source
AFP news report published on .