Mexican officials reveal major update after two Aussie brothers and their American friend were 'gunned down' while on surfing trip
Callum and Jake Robinson, from Perth, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, from San Diego, were on a surfing trip in Mexican state of Baja California when they were reported missing on April 27 last year.
Their bodies were found a few days later on May 3 at the bottom of a well alongside a fourth body not directly linked to the case, reportedly that of a local rancher.
Investigators previously said the three men were shot in the back of the head at their remote campsite with a single bullet each and that it appeared to be a robbery.
Three locals were arrested last year and now Mexican prosecutors have revealed a fourth person - Irineo Francisco - has been arrested.
Prosecutor Miguel Ángel Gaxiola Rodríguez also confirmed that his office had backed up the robbery theory and added there was no evidence of involvement from Mexico's notorious drug cartels.
Irineo Francisco will join Jesús Gerardo, Ari Gisell, and Ángel Jesús - all of who have had their surnames suppressed - in court charged with the killings.
Jake Robinson was a talented lacrosse player living in the US, while Callum was a doctor who had taken a trip to visit his brother, and Mr Rhoad was employed at a technology services company and was set to marry his fiancé in August last year.
Mr Gaxiola Rodríguez has said the state had a strong case against the four alleged killers.
'We have compelling evidence, including witness statements, and we have found the vehicle,' he said.
'The objective is to ensure that the accused are brought to trial and convicted of the homicide and robbery.'
Ms Gisell was the first alleged killer to be arrested on May 1 when she was pulled over for a routine traffic stop.
She reportedly threw 100g of meth on the ground and tried to flee officers.
After searching the vehicle, officers found an iPhone belonging to Mr Rhoad.
She turned in Mr Gerado and told officers he had told her: 'I f***ed up three gringos.'
Ms Gisell also turned in one of the other accused killers.
The three men are looking at charges of aggravated homicide, aggravated robbery, violent robbery, grand theft auto and forced disappearance.
Ms Gisell faces the same charges except forced disappearance.
Three wooden statues have been installed overlooking the North Baja coast to commemorate the Perth brothers and their American friend.
The Callum and Jake Robinson Foundation wrote on social media that the 'unveiling ceremony brought together surfers, representatives from the Australian embassy and the Baja California governor's office.
'After a few words were shared, the community honoured the boys with a traditional paddle out.
'We are deeply grateful for the continued love, remembrance, and support from around the world.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Hollywood agent's son accused of murdering wife and in-laws kills himself
A California man who was charged with murdering and dismembering his wife and her parents in the home they shared in the Los Angeles suburbs, then dumping his wife's remains into a garbage bag, has died by suicide in jail, the Los Angeles county district attorney confirmed on Monday. Samuel Bond Haskell IV, 37, was arrested in November 2023 and charged with the murders of his wife, Mei Haskell, her mother, Yanxiang Wang, and her stepfather, Gaoshan Li. Haskell pleaded not guilty to the three murder counts in January 2024 and was being held without bail pending trial. He was facing a sentence of life in prison with no parole. Haskell was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday morning, according to a statement from the LA county district attorney, Nathan Hochman, days before he was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing. 'Instead of standing before a judge and answering for the crimes he's been charged with, the defendant managed to escape justice,' Hochman said. 'This is one last cruel act by someone who did the most horrific things for reasons we will never entirely know. A family that has been dealing with unimaginable loss now has been robbed of their chance to face him, hold him accountable for his barbaric actions, and openly share their grief and their cherished memories of their loved ones.' Haskell is the son of Sam Haskell III, who was the worldwide head of television for William Morris and represented clients including Dolly Parton, George Clooney and Prince Edward before his retirement 20 years ago. In 2023, Haskell had been living with his wife, their three young children, and her parents in Tarzana, California. On 8 November of that year, a person looking through a strip-mall Dumpster in Encino, California, 5 miles from Haskell's house, discovered a torso, later confirmed to belong to his wife, in a black garbage bag. The body was so unrecognizable after being chopped into pieces that it took the Los Angeles coroner's office more than a month to make a positive identification. The case is among the most gruesome to hit the headlines in years, yet the Los Angeles police almost missed it because a group of day laborers who first found evidence of the murders on 7 November spoke only Spanish and were not taken seriously when they reported their findings. Haskell had hired and paid the men $500 to take away heavy black plastic trash bags from his home in Tarzana. After opening the bag to find human body parts, the workers returned the bags and money to Haskell, then alerted police. The same afternoon, Haskell was seen on video disposing of a black garbage bag in the Encino strip-mall. The bodies of Wang and Li have never been found. An uncle of Mei's told the Los Angeles Times that she had come to the United States from China to study accounting and met her future husband when they were both students at Cal State Northridge, a public university in the northern San Fernando Valley. After the first of their three children was born in 2010, Mei's parents emigrated from China and moved in with them. According to the uncle, Mei worked several jobs and was the main breadwinner in the household. It is not clear what work, if any, Haskell did or whether his family supported him financially. A lawyer for the Haskell family, Joseph A Weimortz Jr, told NBC News that Haskell was 'not afraid of prison, but was afraid of an even larger media spectacle', and how it would impact his children. 'Ultimately, my client was even willing to take his own life, believing that it would end this terrible chaos,' Weimortz said. 'The Haskell family grieves every single life lost in this case.' Andrew Gumbel contributed reporting In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, chat on or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@ or jo@ In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Man accused of horror axe attack now refusing to 'get out of bed' for court
A young man accused of attacking a woman with an axe and then running her over with her Ford Mustang is now reportedly refusing to leave his jail cell. Caleb Flentjar, 25, was slapped with 11 charges after he led police on a 50km pursuit from Nowra to Kiama on the NSW South Coast on Saturday afternoon. He failed to appear in court on Monday, after reportedly refusing to meet with a legal representative or step outside his cell at Wollongong Police Station. 'He refuses to see me, and presumably anyone else,' his lawyer Cassie Lee told the court, as reported by the ABC. 'Apparently he won't get out of bed.' Flentjar was arrested following an alleged violent spree that began shortly before 1pm in the quiet suburb of Worrigee, near Nowra. He allegedly threw an axe at a police car as officers arrived on the scene, then ran to a nearby home on Illawarra Circuit. There, he allegedly struck a 66-year-old woman sitting in a Ford Mustang with an axe, before dragging her from the vehicle and running her over. The woman suffered significant injuries to her legs and torso and remains in a serious but stable condition in St George Hospital. A manhunt was launched for the Ford Mustang, with officers locating the stolen car heading southbound on the Princes Highway about 2pm. When Flentjar allegedly failed to stop, a high-speed pursuit ensued. The Ford Mustang reportedly hit speeds of up to 180km/hour in an 80km/hour zone as it passed through Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong and Kiama. Police say Flentjar narrowly missed a highway patrol officer while allegedly swerving to avoid road spikes. The chase ended at Kiama Downs when the Mustang collided with a ute while driving on the wrong side of the Princes Highway. Flentjar allegedly attempted to flee the scene on foot but was tackled and restrained by members of the public until police arrived. He was arrested and taken to Wollongong Hospital under police guard. The driver of the ute was also taken to hospital for assessment. Police seized an axe and hammer from the Mustang for forensic examination.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Former college football star Tyler Martinez gunned down in parking garage dispute
A suspect has been arrested after a former football star at Texas Southern University was found dead in a parking garage in an apartment complex in Houston. According to KTRK news in Houston, 22-year-old Jasper Robinson has been charged with murder. The victim was 24-year-old Tyler Martinez, a former defensive tackle for TSU's football team. The incident occurred on Friday, with police responding to the Mac 4660 Apartments where they found Martinez with multiple gunshot wounds. According to court documents, Robinson - a full time TSU student - returned to the scene of the crime and confessed to the shooting.
