A Mexican court on Wednesday ordered the alleged killing of two Australians and an American died during a surfing trip to be prosecuted as chilling details emerged about the suspect's alleged confession.
It followed a hearing held for Jesús Gerardo “N” — aka “El Kekas,” a slang word for quesadillas — in Ensenada, Baja California, where the bodies of brothers Callum and Jake Robinson were found, and his friend Jack Carter Rhoad, were found last friday.
The suspect's girlfriend told a court that he confessed to killing the three friends after returning home from their camping trip, the BBC reported. The 23-year-old woman told investigators she showed up at his home on April 28 and told him she had done something to “three gringos,” the outlet reported.
She said she asked him what he meant, and he replied “I killed them,” she told the court.
He then showed him the new tires that were allegedly stolen from the three surfers, the BBC reported, citing prosecutors.
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The suspect will be prosecuted for the crime of “disappearance committed by individuals”, and it is expected that charges of homicide will be presented later, the State Prosecutor's Office has informed.
The trio had been camping in a remote area of the beach when they died in what investigators believe was an attempt to steal their pickup truck.
Their bodies were found in a shaft of a cliff with bullet wounds to the head.
Prosecutors have said they are gathering evidence to charge two other suspects, who remain in custody for alleged possession of methamphetamine.
Baja California, located in Southern California, is popular among American tourists thanks to its inviting beaches.
It is also one of the most violent states in Mexico due to organized crime gangs, although tourists are not usually targeted.
On Tuesday, the forensic service delivered the bodies of the victims to a mortuary in Baja California, which will transport them to the United States, where their families await them.
The parents of the two Australian brothers urged well-wishers to use their memory as inspiration to “live bigger, shine brighter and love harder”.
Speaking from California, Debra and Martin Robinson said “the world has become a darker place” since the deaths.
Martin thanked friends and family in Australia and the US who have offered “overwhelming support” since the men went missing.
With the ocean at her back, mom Debra struggled to read the prepared comments.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake have been killed,” she began, her voice breaking with emotion. “Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us.”
He described Callum, 33, as a “lovable, larger-than-life character” who played professional lacrosse in the US, where he became known as “the big koala”.
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The US Premier Lacrosse League left a message on its website saying the lacrosse world was “heartbroken by the tragic loss” of the trio.
Taking to social media, his devastated girlfriend shared a black and white photo of the pair kissing, with the message: “You are one of them. I will love you forever.”
In another photo she shared, in which the two are seen hugging, she wrote: “My heart is broken into a million pieces. I have no words right now.”
Jake, 30, was described as a “happy, kind and compassionate soul who was pursuing a career in medicine” and had a great love of surfing and cricket.
“They were young men enjoying their passion for surfing together,” Debra said. “Now it's time to take them home to family and friends and the ocean waves in Australia.”
Rhoad became engaged and married Natalie Weirtz on Aug. 17 in Columbus, Ohio, according to a Zola online wedding registry. A GoFundMe launched to “get support for Natalie” had raised more than $80,000 as of Thursday morning.
“After the heartbreaking loss of Carter Rhoad, Callum Robinson and Jake Robinson, our hearts go out to their families, friends and community,” reads a separate GoFundMe for Rhoad's family.
