Mexican authorities announced Sunday that they had identified the three bodies found in a well as those of two Australian surfers and one American who went missing last weekend.
According to Baja California state prosecutors, the relatives recognized their loved ones among the corpses discovered in a secluded well approximately 50 feet (15 meters) deep.
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Thieves probably killed the three, who were on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, in order to steal their truck and its tires. They allegedly disposed of the bodies by dumping them in a well near the coast.
Around 4 miles (6 kilometers) separated the well from the site of the foreigners’ deaths, and it also contained a fourth body that had been there for much longer.
Locals claim the case resolved far faster than the disappearances of thousands of Mexicans, and three suspects are currently in custody in connection with it.
Before disappearing last weekend, the three men were on a camping and surfing excursion along a stretch of coast south of Ensenada, posting picturesque photos of waves and remote beaches on social media.
According to Chief State Prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the journey of Australian twins Jake and Callum Robinson and American Jack Carter Rhoad was likely cut short due to terror.
She suspected that the killers had driven by and observed the foreigners’ pickup vehicle and tents, intending to take their tires. Nevertheless, “when the foreigners came up and caught them, surely they resisted.”
She claimed that’s when the killers would have shot the tourists.
The robbers then allegedly went to “a site that is extremely hard to get to” and dumped the remains into a well they appeared to be familiar with. She added that police were not ruling out the possibility that the same perpetrators dropped the first body in the well as part of a previous crime.
“They may have been looking for trucks in this area,” Andrade Ramírez explained.
The burglars allegedly covered the well with boards. “It was literally almost impossible to find it,” Andrade Ramírez said. It took two hours to hoist the victims out of the well.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers extended his sympathies for the Robinson family. “I believe the entire nation’s heart goes out to all of their loved ones. “It has been an absolutely horrific ordeal, and our thoughts are with all of them today,” he said at a news conference Monday in Canberra.
On Thursday, the discovery of the bodies took place near the township of Santo Tomás, close to the desolate beachside location where the missing men’s tents and truck were located. According to their most recent photos, the trip appeared to be ideal. Even seasoned local expatriates are wondering if it is safe to camp along the nearly desolate beaches anymore.
In an editorial on Saturday, the administrator of the local Talk Baja online forum, who has lived in the area for over two decades, stated that “the reality is that the dangers of traveling to and camping in remote areas are outweighing the benefits anymore.”
However, adventure played an important role in the victims’ way of life.
Callum Robinson’s Instagram account had the phrase, “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.”
During the news conference, Andrade Ramírez was questioned by a reporter, who praised the swift search for the foreigners but questioned why locals sometimes go unnoticed for weeks, months, or years when missing.
“Is it necessary for you to be a foreigner in Baja California to undergo investigation if something happens to you?” inquired the reporter, who remained anonymous. “Each investigation is unique,” Andrade Ramírez answered.
To emphasize this point, dozens of mourners, surfers, and activists gathered in a large square in Ensenada, the nearby city, to express their outrage and sadness over the fatalities.
Protesters held a sign that read, “Ensenada is a mass grave.” “Australia, we are with you,” one man wrote on one of the half-dozen surfboards at the event.
A woman put up a banner that read, “They only wanted to surf—we demand safe beaches.”
Surfer Gabriela Acosta attended the demonstration “to show love, solidarity, and respect for the three lives lost.” Acosta stated that surfers in Baja are aware of the dangers.
“We are women, and we would sometimes like to surf alone,” Acosta remarked in an interview. “But because of the circumstances, we never do that.” We always need to be accompanied.”
“I think that what happened to them is just an example of the lack of safety in this state,” she told me.
Surfers later performed a “paddle-out” ceremony in the ocean, forming a circle with their boards.
Authorities in Baja California reported that they were interviewing three individuals related to the killings, two of whom had methamphetamine in their possession. Prosecutors stated that while the two were awaiting drug charges, they remained suspects in the killings.
Before the discovery of the remains, authorities detained a third man on charges akin to kidnapping. It was unclear whether he might face more charges.
It was believed that the third suspect actively participated in the killings. Prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesús Gerardo, sometimes known as “el Kekas,” a slang term for “quesadillas,” or cheese tortillas. Andrade Ramírez stated that he had a criminal past and that other individuals may have been involved.
Last Monday, Debra Robinson, the mother of the missing Australians, asked for help finding her sons on a local community Facebook group. Debra Robinson revealed that they hadn’t received any communication from Callum and Jake since April 27. They had reserved accommodations in Rosarito, a city near Ensenada.
Robinson stated that Callum was diabetic. She also stated that the American accompanying them was named Jack Carter Rhoad, although the US Embassy in Mexico City did not immediately corroborate this. The US State Department said it was aware of allegations that a US citizen was missing in Baja, but provided no further information.
In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, perished in western Sinaloa State while crossing the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, from the Baja Peninsula. Authorities stated that they were victims of highway bandits. In that case, authorities arrested three people.
