Tragic End to Surfing Trip in Mexico
A Mexican woman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the brutal murders of two Australian brothers and an American friend during a surfing trip in Baja California. The victims, identified as Perth surfers Callum and Jake Robinson, aged 33 and 30 respectively, and their American companion, Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed in late April 2024.
Details of the Crime Emerge in Court
The trio were camping at a remote beachside location near Ensenada when they were targeted in what investigators believe was a violent robbery attempt centred on their pickup truck. According to evidence presented by the prosecution, Ary Gisell Silva, 23, admitted during her trial that she instigated the robbery after first making contact with the tourists and noticing their valuable possessions.
Judicial authorities stated that Silva allegedly told her three male accomplices, "They have good phones and good tires" on their vehicle, prompting the fatal attack. The court found Silva guilty of crimes related to "violent robbery" in a ruling published on Thursday in the public records of the Baja California judicial authority.
The assailants are believed to have "intentionally surprised the surfers and shot them with firearms" on Sunday, April 28, 2024. The men had been reported missing on April 27, after travelling from the United States to surf in the Ensenada area.
Aftermath and Previous Incidents
The bodies of the three friends were discovered on May 3, 2024, hidden in a cliff. This tragic event caused widespread outrage and grief in their home countries, sparking intensive search campaigns across media and social networks.
This is not the first time foreign tourists have been targeted in the region. In a chillingly similar case from November 2015, two other Australian surfers, Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, were murdered and their bodies burned while travelling through the state of Sinaloa.
Silva's three male accomplices have been separately arrested and charged with murder, with their trials proceeding in different legal proceedings.
