By Tony O’Reilly-
Witnesses have been intimidated in the lead-up to the trial of three men accused of killing Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad in Mexico, prosecutors have told a court in Ensenada.
The revelation came as the long-awaited trial opened on Mexico’s Pacific coast, more than two years after the three men were allegedly killed during a camping and surfing trip in April 2024.
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Prosecutors told the court that two witnesses had been threatened or intimidated by people connected to the accused and had since been placed under witness protection.
The three defendants — Jesús Gerardo, also known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús — are facing charges including aggravated homicide, aggravated robbery, violent robbery and grand theft auto.
All three have denied the charges, and rejected plea agreements that would have resulted in reduced prison sentences of between 47 and 52 years. Prosecutors are seeking sentences of 210 years for each man.
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At the opening of the trial, a judge ordered the three defendants to be removed from the courtroom after prosecutors raised concerns about witness intimidation. The men, who appeared in bright orange prison jumpsuits, were taken to another room while witnesses gave evidence.
The dramatic development came as Jake and Callum Robinson’s parents, Debra and Martin Robinson, sat only a few metres from the men accused of murdering their sons. The couple travelled from Perth to Ensenada to attend the proceedings and confront the accused in person.
Before the trial, the parents said they wanted the men to understand the human consequences of the deaths of their sons.
“We want the men accused of murdering our sons to see, in person, the human consequences of what happened,” they said in a statement.
The emotional first day of proceedings also saw the parents begin the process of giving evidence. Debra Robinson was sworn in on the witness stand but did not provide testimony on the day. Martin Robinson declined to comment when approached outside the court.
Jake, a 31-year-old doctor from Perth, had travelled to California to meet his 32-year-old brother Callum before the pair travelled south into Mexico with their American friend, 30-year-old Jack Carter Rhoad. The three men were passionate surfers and had planned to camp and surf during their trip.
They were reported missing in April 2024, after using a vehicle to travel through the region. Search teams later discovered their bodies.
Investigators have previously alleged that all three victims were shot in the head before their bodies were dumped down a well, where the body of a local farmer was also discovered. Their vehicle was later found burned and abandoned on a ranch with its tyres missing, while their campsite had also been set alight.
Prosecutors told the court that their case centres on a robbery that allegedly turned deadly. The first witness to testify was the son of a former girlfriend of El Kekas. His identity was withheld by the court.
Prosecutors said he was one of the witnesses who had been intimidated and that he and his mother had subsequently been placed in witness protection. In a 45-minute testimony, the witness described events on April 27, the day the brothers are believed to have been killed.
He told the court that El Kekas had invited him to the beach to spend time with women. El Kekas picked him and another woman up before taking them to San Jose. They arrived at about 6pm and saw two foreign men — described by the witness as “two gringos” — at a beach campsite.
The men were beside a pickup truck, surfboards and a tent.
According to the witness, El Kekas and Ari Gisell, the former girlfriend who had previously been convicted in connection with the incident, approached the foreign men. They discovered that the group wanted help obtaining petrol to start a fire on the beach.
The witness said he, El Kekas, Ari Gisell and another woman then left the area to take the women home. But later that night, he said, he and El Kekas returned to the beach.
On their way back, they encountered another pickup truck. The two vehicles then travelled towards the area where the foreign men were camping. By about 11pm, the area was dark.
The witness told the court that he later identified Ángel Jesús and Irineo Francisco, as well as another man who is not standing trial, among those present.
The witness said he remained inside the vehicle while the other men walked towards the beach. He was listening to music when he suddenly heard a gunshot.
He then heard voices shouting and what sounded like fighting.
The witness said he became frightened and ran towards his uncle’s house in a nearby village, where he hid inside a bathroom for about half an hour until he saw the lights of a pickup truck outside.
According to his testimony, he eventually succumbed to the pressure of El Kekas and the other men who began calling his name out loud, by emerging from hiding and getting into the vehicle with them.
During the journey home, he said, El Kekas warned him not to tell anyone what had happened that night.
His mother then gave evidence, describing her own troubled relationship with El Kekas and alleging that it had involved domestic violence. She said she had previously warned her son against spending time with her former partner.
The woman told the court that her son and El Kekas had only spent time together a few times before the night of the killings. She was staying at her sister’s home on April 27 and said her son told her about the events when she returned the following day.
Her testimony was emotional, with the witness frequently being asked to speak louder and appearing close to tears. Ari Gisell, the former girlfriend of El Kekas, was previously tried separately for her involvement in the incident. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year.
The defence teams representing the three men have argued that prosecutors do not have enough evidence to prove their case. The proceedings are being overseen by a single judge, an unusual arrangement in a country where criminal cases are generally decided by a trial magistrate or a panel of magistrates rather than a jury.
The trial itself was also thrown into uncertainty shortly before it began after a new judge was appointed following an accident involving the previous judge.
The newly appointed judge appeared remotely on the first day because there was not enough time for him to travel to Ensenada. Dozens of additional witnesses are expected to give evidence as the trial continues. Proceedings are scheduled to resume at 1pm local time.
The trial marks a painful new stage for the Robinson family, in their effort to secure justice for Jake and Callum.
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