Authorities in Mexico have discovered three bodies in the search for three surfers, two Australians and an American, who went missing on a camping and surfing trip last weekend. The bodies were found in a well in a remote area, and all three had gunshot wounds to the head.
Authorities in Mexico have discovered three bodies in the search for three surfers, two Australians and an American, who went missing on a camping and surfing trip last weekend. The bodies were found in a well in a remote area, and all three had gunshot wounds to the head, Reuters reported, citing a source from the attorney general's office.
The missing surfers were identified as Jake and Callum Robinson from Australia and Jack Carter Rhoad from the United States. They were last seen on April 28 near the city of Ensenada, where they were camping and surfing.
Mexican authorities believe the surfers were killed because thieves wanted the tires from their truck. Chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez theorized the killers drove by and saw the foreigners' pickup truck and tents and wanted to steal their tires. But "when [the foreigners] came up and caught them, surely, they resisted."
The thieves then allegedly went to what she called "a site that is extremely hard to get to" and allegedly dumped the bodies into a familiar well. A fourth body was also found inside the well. Ramírez said investigators were not ruling out the possibility the same suspects also dumped the first, earlier body in the well as part of previous crimes.
One of the suspects believed to be connected to the murders allegedly admitted to his girlfriend that he killed all three, according to her. During a court hearing on Wednesday, the BBC reported that Ari Gisel, the girlfriend of suspected killer Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, allegedly showed up at her house on April 28 and told her he did something to "three gringos." Gringo is a slang term used to describe English-speaking foreigners.
When she asked what he meant, Gisel stated that Garcia Cota said "I killed them." In keeping with Mexican law, prosecutors identified him by his first name, Jesús Gerardo, alias "el Kekas," a slang word that means "quesadillas," or cheese tortillas.
After admitting to the crime, Garcia Cota reportedly took Gisel outside to show her his vehicle, which reportedly had the tires on it that were allegedly stolen from the victims' truck, Gisel explained in court.
Garcia Cota will be prosecuted for the crime of "disappearance committed by private individuals," and homicide charges are expected to be filed later, the BBC reported. The prosecution added that it is continuing to gather evidence in an effort to charge two other suspects, who remain in custody for alleged possession of methamphetamine.
The Robinson brothers' mother, Debra, delivered a moving tribute to her sons Tuesday at a beach in San Diego. "Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place for us," she said, fighting back tears. "They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together."
During her speech, Robinson noted that her son Jake loved surfing so much that, as a doctor, he liked to work in hospitals near the beach. "Jake’s passion was surfing, and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to surfing beaches," she said. "Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory," she said.
The tragic deaths of the three surfers have sent shockwaves through the international surfing community and have raised concerns about safety for foreign travelers in Mexico. Authorities are continuing to investigate the murders and are asking for the public's help in providing any information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.
