Current:Home > FinanceChilling details emerge about alleged killer of Australian and U.S. surfers in Mexico -Wealth Momentum Network
Chilling details emerge about alleged killer of Australian and U.S. surfers in Mexico
View
Date:2025-04-11 18:59:36
A Mexican court on Wednesday ordered the alleged murderer of two Australians and an American killed during a surfing trip to be prosecuted, as chilling details emerged about the suspect's alleged confession.
It followed a hearing held for Jesus Gerardo "N" — alias "El Kekas," a slang word that means quesadillas — in Ensenada, Baja California, where the bodies of brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, were found last Friday.
The suspect's girlfriend told a court that he confessed to killing the three friends after returning home from their campsite, the BBC reported. The 23-year-old woman told investigators he showed up at her house on April 28, telling her he had done something to "three gringos," the outlet reported.
She said she asked what he meant, and he replied "I killed them", the court was told.
He then showed her new tires that were allegedly stolen from the three surfers, the BBC reported, citing prosecutors.
The suspect will be prosecuted for the crime of "disappearance committed by private individuals," and homicide charges are expected to be filed later, the state prosecutor's office said.
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.
The prosecution has said it is gathering evidence to charge two other suspects, who remain in detention for alleged possession of methamphetamine.
Baja California, located just south of California, is popular with US tourists thanks to its inviting beaches.
It is also one of Mexico's most violent states because of organized crime gangs, although tourists are not usually targeted.
On Tuesday, the forensic service delivered the victims' bodies to a funeral home in Baja California that will transfer them to the United States, where the families are waiting for them.
The parents of the two Australian brothers urged well-wishers to use their memory as an inspiration to "live bigger, shine brighter and love harder."
Speaking from California, Debra and Martin Robinson said that "the world has become a darker place" since the deaths.
Martin thanked friends and family in Australia and the United States who have offered "overwhelming support" since the men went missing.
With the ocean at their backs, mother Debra then struggled to read through prepared remarks.
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake have been murdered," she began, her voice cracking with emotion. "Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us."
She described Callum, aged 33, as a "lovable, larger-than-life character" who played professional lacrosse in the United States, where he became known as "the big koala."
The U.S. Premier Lacrosse League left a message on its website saying the lacrosse world was "heartbroken by the tragic loss" of the trio.
Callum also played lacrosse at Stevenson University in Maryland. Head lacrosse coach Paul Cantabene told CBS Baltimore he was devastated when he learned the news.
"I had a good cry, and then I had to make some tough phone calls and notify some people about the situation," Cantabene said. "That was even tougher."
On social media, his devastated girlfriend shared a black and white photo of the couple kissing, with the message: "You are one of one. I will love you forever." In another photo she shared, in which the two can be seen embracing, she wrote: "My heart is shattered into a million pieces. I don't have the words right now."
Jake, aged 30, was described as a "happy, gentle and compassionate soul, who was pursuing a career in medicine" and had a keen love for surfing and cricket.
"They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together," Debra said. "Now it is time to bring them home to family and friends and the ocean waves in Australia."
Rhoad was engaged and set to marry Natalie Weirtz on Aug. 17 in Columbus, Ohio, according to a Zola online wedding registry. A GoFundMe which was launched to "rally support for Natalie" had raised over $80,000 as of Thursday morning.
"In the wake of the heartbreaking loss of Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson, and Jake Robinson, our hearts ache with grief for their families, friends, and community," reads a separate GoFundMe set up for Rhoad's family.
- In:
- Mexico
- Murder
veryGood! (67638)
Related
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Police in suburban Chicago release body-worn camera footage of fatal shooting of man in his bedroom
- Rapper Danny Brown talks Adderall and pickleball
- Kate Winslet's 'The Regime' is dictators gone wild. Sometimes it's funny.
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Kate Somerville Spills the Secret to Looking Younger Instantly & It's Super Easy
- Paul Giamatti's own high school years came in handy in 'The Holdovers'
- Viral article used AI to create photo of Disney World's Cinderella Castle on fire
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Megan Fox’s Ex Brian Austin Green Reacts to Love Is Blind Star Chelsea’s Comparison
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- 'Wait Wait' for March 2, 2024: Live in Austin with Danny Brown!
- Northern California braces for snow storm with Blizzard Warnings in effect. Here's the forecast.
- Clippers guard Russell Westbrook breaks left hand in first half against Wizards
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Jennifer Dulos Case: Michelle Troconis Found Guilty of Conspiring to Murder
- New Jersey businessman pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in case against Sen. Bob Menendez
- New Jersey businessman pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in case against Sen. Bob Menendez
Recommendation
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
New Giants manager Bob Melvin gets his man as team strikes deal with third baseman Matt Chapman
Viral article used AI to create photo of Disney World's Cinderella Castle on fire
Here’s How You Can Get 85% off Anthropologie and Score Secret Deals
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
Elle King Returns to the Stage After Drunken Dolly Parton Tribute Incident
Lynette Woodard talks Caitlin Clark's scoring record, why she's so excited for what's next
For an Indigenous woman, discovering an ancestor's remains mixed both trauma and healing