A Mexican court has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the murder of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip in 2024.
According to Associated Press, the men, identified as Jesús Gerardo García, popularly known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, were convicted of murder, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence.
A judge in Ensenada, Baja California, delivered the sentences on Friday, a week after the trio were found guilty of killing Australians Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend, Carter Redd Rhoad.
The victims travelled to Mexico in late April 2024 to surf at Punta San José, about 80 kilometres from Ensenada.
They were camping on the beach on April 27 when their attackers confronted them in an alleged attempt to steal the tyres from their pickup truck.
According to state prosecutor María Elena Andrade, the attackers shot the three men after they resisted the robbery and dumped their bodies in a well more than 15 metres deep.
Their bodies were discovered on May 3, 2024, following days of searching.
Mexican authorities arrested García, whom they identified as the suspected gunman, on May 5, 2024. His former partner, Ary Gisell Raya, and two alleged accomplices were also arrested.
Raya, who was found with a cellphone belonging to one of the victims, pleaded guilty through an abbreviated trial and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November for aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.
The sentencing has been welcomed by Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers’ association, who said justice had been served.
However, he said the killings had contributed to a major decline in tourist visits, particularly among surfers, to the region known for its beaches.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.