Ensenada (Mexico) (AFP) – The father of two Australian surfers killed in Mexico two years ago testified in court Tuesday that his life had been turned into hell, as the high-profile trial continued into its second day. Three men are charged in the killing of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, respectively, and their 30-year-old American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, who were on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Pacific coast in April 2024.
Authorities say the three were killed in an attempted robbery, and their bodies were found dumped in a cliff-top shaft with gunshot wounds to their heads. “It’s hell,” the victims’ father Martin Robinson told the court. “It’s hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons.”
“It’s not just the loss, but also the potential they had, the dreams that lay ahead of them, the places they traveled, and the love they had for others,” he said. Robinson described the ordeal of having to identify his sons’ bodies: Callum by a tattoo on his forearm, while identifying Jake was more difficult and required photographs.
Rhoad’s mother Page compared the crime to an execution. “I miss my son every day, and I don’t know if I will ever be able to regain my balance,” she testified. “Carter loved Mexico. He spoke fluent Spanish and loved dancing, Mexican food, and its people.”
Authorities say the men were killed during an attempt to steal their pickup truck, which was later found burned near their bodies. A protected witness testified Monday that they accompanied one of the defendants to the crime scene and fled after hearing gunshots, and were later threatened into silence.
The surfers’ disappearances and deaths sparked widespread outrage and grief in Australia and the United States, prompting a major social media search for their bodies. “We hold no resentment toward the people who did this, but we cannot understand how they could have taken the lives of two beautiful people,” Martin Robinson told the court.
The trial is expected to run until the end of September. Rhoad’s widow, Natalie, is scheduled to testify Wednesday.
© 2024 AFP
