Author: Abdiel Ortega
Ensenada.- Testimony from a young man who said he was near the site of the attack, allegations that he was threatened into remaining silent, and emotional accounts from the victims’ families marked the opening days of the trial over the killings of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad.
The three tourists disappeared during a camping and surfing trip along the coast of Baja California. According to the prosecution, they were attacked during the night of April 27 and the early hours of April 28, 2024, at Punta San José, south of Ensenada.
Their bodies were found several days later inside a well approximately 15 meters deep. The white Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck in which they had been traveling was later found burned and without its tires.
Jesús Gerardo, known as “El Kekas,” Irineo Francisco, and Ángel Jesús face charges of aggravated homicide committed with treachery and advantage, robbery with violence, and motor vehicle theft with violence under criminal case 1452/2024.
During a pretrial hearing, prosecutors sought to add a charge of disappearance committed by private individuals against “El Kekas.” The defense challenged the charge and succeeded in keeping it out of the trial. The other two defendants had not faced that charge.
Witness Places Defendants at Punta San José
One of the first witnesses to testify was a young man under protective measures who said he had a family relationship with “El Kekas.”
The witness said that on the night of April 27, he was accompanying Jesús Gerardo when they returned to the location where the tourists’ pickup truck was parked.
According to his account, another pickup arrived and three people got out. He identified Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús as two of them.
The young man said he remained inside the vehicle listening to music. After hearing a commotion, he became nervous and ran toward nearby homes belonging to his relatives when he heard the first gunshot.
He testified that he hid in a bathroom and heard additional shots from there. “El Kekas” and his companions later went looking for him and called out his name, prompting him to leave his hiding place and depart with them.
He also accused Ángel Jesús of threatening him and warning that if he disclosed what had happened, “the same thing that happened to the gringos” would happen to him.
The witness said third parties had threatened him in an attempt to prevent him from testifying. He also claimed there had been at least three attempts to kill him.
His mother also testified under protective measures. She said she heard “El Kekas” call her son and invite him to go out, and that she did not see him again until April 28.
According to her testimony, she learned about the tourists’ disappearance through social media and noticed that her son appeared extremely frightened. She said the young man later told her that he had witnessed the events and said: “I was in the wrong place.”
During cross-examination, the defense challenged the credibility of that portion of her account, noting that she had not mentioned the alleged telephone call during an earlier interview with prosecutors.
The witness also alleged that people sent by “El Kekas” attempted to abduct her son, but that her family prevented it. The allegations were made before the court and must still be assessed alongside the rest of the evidence.
“It’s Been Hell”
Martin Robinson, the father of Jake and Callum, traveled from Australia to attend the trial and testify.
“It’s been hell. It’s hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons,” he said.
Robinson said the loss went beyond his sons’ absence and included the opportunities, dreams, and relationships they would never experience.
“What was taken from them was the opportunity to fulfill their dreams, get married, have children, and meet more people. Now that will never happen,” he said.
He explained that he still reaches for his phone whenever he sees something he would like to share with Jake and Callum, only to remember that he can no longer do so.
“We miss them every day. We hold no resentment toward the people who did this, but we cannot understand how they could have taken the lives of two such beautiful people,” he said.
The father said his family is trying to celebrate his sons’ lives and continue the legacy they had begun.
“They will always be with us. We will always remember what beautiful people they were,” he added.
During his testimony, Robinson also discussed his sons’ journey through Rosarito and Ensenada and described their belongings, including gold chains, Garmin watches, iPhones, and an Apple laptop. The items form part of the prosecution’s robbery case.
Martin recalled that one of his sons was very proud of the double-cab Chevrolet Colorado, which had been fitted with new tires and rims.
He also described traveling to Baja California to identify the bodies. He said he was able to identify Callum easily because of a tattoo on his forearm. Identifying Jake was more difficult and required authorities to show him several photographs.
“It Looks Like an Execution”
Page Rhoad, Jack Carter’s mother, testified by videoconference from Georgia in the United States.
She said investigators with the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office told her that each of the three victims had been shot three times. According to her testimony, her son suffered one gunshot wound to an arm and two to the back of his head, while Jake and Callum were also shot in the head.
“I’m not an expert, but to me, it looks like an execution,” she said.
Her statement was a personal assessment based on information she said investigators had provided. Forensic evidence presented during the trial will have to establish the number, trajectory, and characteristics of the gunshot wounds.
Page Rhoad also said she received assistance from the FBI after Natalie, Carter’s wife, and one of his friends received ransom demands through social media. The messages arrived after relatives and friends posted a public appeal for help finding him.
She later traveled to Baja California with one of her sons and an FBI agent to meet with Mexican authorities.
Rhoad recalled that Carter loved Mexico, spoke fluent Spanish, enjoyed dancing, and loved the country’s food and people.
“Had this not happened, he certainly would have returned to Mexico,” she said.
She also thanked prosecutors for the treatment her family received and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to see the case go to trial.
Friend Reached the Campsite
James Tipton Fitzgerald, a friend of Carter Rhoad, testified that he spent time with the three victims before parting ways with them in Rosarito several days before the killings.
After losing contact with the group, Fitzgerald traveled to Ensenada with members of the Rhoad family and eight other people to search for clues.
The group reached a hill overlooking the ocean that was frequented by surfers and where the attack allegedly took place. Fitzgerald said he saw the remains of a burned tent and recognized several personal items belonging to Carter.
He also explained that Natalie had access to the location data from her husband’s cellphone. The signal pointed to a neighborhood in Ensenada, and the group traveled there. They abandoned the search, however, after deciding that the area was too dangerous.
The trial is expected to include testimony from 54 witnesses: 49 called by the prosecution and five by the defense. They include forensic experts, investigators, relatives, and friends of the victims.
Defense attorneys have said they will challenge the prosecution’s account of each defendant’s alleged participation. Ángel Jesús’s defense, in particular, will seek to establish that he was not a co-perpetrator in the killings.
All three men remain in pretrial detention and are presumed innocent unless and until the court delivers a guilty verdict.
