Verdict due in trial over surfers’ killings in Mexico

Three men accused of killing Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad in Mexico faced closing arguments Thursday, as a judge prepared to deliver a verdict Friday. The trial concerns the three men’s alleged roles in the deaths during a surfing trip in 2024; the reports available Thursday did not include a verdict. Prosecutors in Baja California allege the men were shot while the defendants tried to steal tires and other parts from their pickup truck. The defense argued that the evidence was insufficient to convict and asked that the defendants be acquitted, according to one account of the proceedings. The judge is scheduled to decide the case. The Robinson brothers’ parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, attended the hearing in Ensenada after traveling from Australia. Debra Robinson urged the judge to find the defendants guilty and impose the toughest sentence possible, according to testimony reported from the courtroom. The wife of Rhoad also addressed the court by video call, while his mother had testified during the trial. Prosecutors are seeking 150 years in prison for each defendant, reports said.