Last week, three bodies were discovered in the Mexican state of Baja California and were later identified as those of three tourists from Australia and the United States who had gone missing earlier. The victims were confirmed to be Callum and Jake Robinson, two brothers from Perth, Australia, and Jack Carter Rhoad of San Diego. The families of the victims were able to identify the bodies without the need for genetic testing. The three tourists had disappeared on April 27 while on vacation, surfing, and camping along the coast near the city of Ensenada.
The bodies of the three tourists were found in a 50-foot-deep water hole near La Bocana beach in Baja California. Each of the bodies had a gunshot wound to the head, according to María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the state’s attorney general. Along with the bodies of the tourists, a fourth male body, which was not related to the case, was also discovered at the bottom of the hole. Three suspects have been detained in connection with the killings, with one of them charged with forced disappearance. It was reported that the suspect tried to rob the Robinson brothers and Mr. Carter of the pickup truck they were traveling in and shot them when they resisted.
Two other individuals were also detained on charges of possession of methamphetamine. The authorities stated that there may be more arrests in connection with the case but mentioned that there were no indications that any organized crime gangs were involved in the killings. The theory presented by the authorities was that the suspects had approached with the intention of seizing the pickup truck from the tourists and then attacked them. A burned campsite was discovered in a remote area south of Ensenada, along with a single shell casing and blood stains. The tourists’ burned pickup truck was found abandoned nearby.
The families of the Robinson brothers and Jack Carter Rhoad had raised concerns when the three tourists never arrived at an Airbnb they had booked in a coastal town. The Mexican authorities recovered the bodies of the tourists early on Friday, prompting a confirmation of their identities by the families. The tragic incident highlights the dangers faced by tourists in unfamiliar environments, and the Mexican authorities have assured the public that they are actively investigating the case to bring those responsible to justice. The motive behind the killings appears to be an attempted robbery of the tourists’ pickup truck, leading to a tragic and senseless loss of life for the three young men.
