A man accused of shooting dead two Australian brothers and their friend allegedly later joked about how the trio cried and begged for their lives before he killed them, a court has heard.
uncertain
court → accuse → them
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were on a surfing trip along Mexico's Pacific coast when they were shot dead near a remote camping spot in Baja California state in April 2024.
Their bodies were found several days later at the bottom of a well, each with gunshot wounds to the head.
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each → age → head
The group's burnt-out pick-up truck was discovered abandoned nearby.
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truck → burn → ?
Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús were later charged with aggravated homicide and are currently on trial in the Mexican port city of Ensenada.
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Gerardo → charge → Ensenada
Prosecutors alleged they wanted to steal their phones and car tyres.
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they → allege → phones
On Monday, Jesús Gerardo's former girlfriend, 23-year-old Ari Gisell, gave evidence in court, where chilling new details of the alleged murders emerged.
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details → give → murders
Gisell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to instigating the robbery that prosecutors allege led to the killings.
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prosecutors → serve → killings
Gisell said she first met the Robinson brothers at the coastal camping spot of Punta San José after her then-boyfriend instructed her to ask them for fuel.
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boyfriend → say → fuel
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson (pictured) and their US friend were allegedly shot dead in April 2024
Jesus Gerardo and Ángel Jesús are among three men currently on trial for the alleged killings
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Gerardo → picture → killings
The tourists were 'kind' and 'friendly' and agreed to share their fuel, she told the court.
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she → agree → court
'I told El Kekas they had good tyres, and good phones,' she recalled - as reported by the ABC, but insisted she was not encouraging him to rob the men.
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she → tell → men
Gisell said she and Jesús Gerardo later went to his mother's house before he and his stepson returned to the beach.
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he → say → beach
According to her evidence, the stepson took clothing to disguise his identity because 'it was going to be his first job'.
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it → accord → identity
Gisell told the court she later heard the victims threw their keys and wallets from their tent while 'begging not to be killed'.
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victims → tell → tent
'Gerardo told me that he had shot one of them with a gun when they opened the tent door,' Gisell told the court.
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Gisell → tell → court
She said that Jesús Gerardo and his stepson later arrived at his mother's house in the tourists' vehicle, which had blood splattered inside.
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which → say → blood
When he returned, Jesús Gerardo had three phones in his pocket and two chain necklaces, Gisell told the court.
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Gisell → return → court
Jesús Gerardo's ex-girlfriend Ari Gisell, 23, gave evidence at the trial this week
Jesús Gerardo, also known as El Kekas, allegedly joked about how the three tourists cried and begged for their survival before he killed them
The tourists' burnt out pick-up truck was located near their bodies
The court heard Gisell did not question him further because she feared him due to his reputation as a hit man and his violent tendencies.
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she → give → man
Gisell said she later learned of the other accused men's alleged involvement when her then-boyfriend boasted about how he had killed the trio.
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he → say → trio
The court heard he mocked his stepson for being too frightened to take part in the killings while joking that 'without [his stepson's] help, they wouldn't have been able to do anything'.
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they → hear → anything
She told the court that Jesús Gerardo joked that the victims cried when they realised they were in danger.
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they → tell → danger
He said one of the men pleaded, 'please don't kill me because I have a wife', Gisell recalled.
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Gisell → say → wife
The court also heard Gisell describe Jesús Gerardo as a hit man who was always armed and kept a list of intended targets.
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who → hear → targets
Gisell described the Robinson brothers and Mr Carter Rhoad as good people who deserved justice.
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who → describe → justice
Jake and Callum's parents, Debra and Martin Robinson, were in court on Monday to hear the harrowing evidence as the month-long trial entered its second week.
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trial → hear → week
Jake and Callum's parents Debra and Martin Robinson were in court to hear the harrowing new details recalled by Ari Giselle
Callum (left) and Jake Robinson (right) were on a surfing trip to Mexico's Pacific coast with their friend Jack Carter Rhoad when the trio were shot dead
'
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trio → hear → friend
It's about representing our sons, being here for them.
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It → represent → them
I know they want us to be here,' Mr Robinson told reporters before the trial.
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Robinson → know → trial
'We want to find out what happened.
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what → want → ?
We want to find out why.'
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We → want → ?
The trial is now expected to run for longer than four weeks due to scheduling issues and a change of judge.
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trial → expect → judge
Callum Robinson played professional lacrosse in the US, while his younger brother was pursuing a career in medicine.
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brother → play → medicine
Their friend Mr Rhoad was killed just months before he was due to marry.
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he → kill → ?
Baja California is one of Mexico's most violent states and has long been plagued by organised crime and drug trafficking.
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California → plague → crime
The Aporia
