A Mexican court has sentenced a woman to two decades behind bars for her involvement in the violent deaths of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip in 2024.
Details of the Crime
Ary Gisell Silva Raya was handed a 20-year prison sentence on Wednesday after pleading guilty to robbery with violence, according to a statement from the Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office. The case concerns the killings of Australian brothers Callum Ryan Robinson, 33, and Jake Martin Robinson, 30, alongside their friend, Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, from San Diego, California.
The three men were on a camping and surfing expedition along the coast south of Ensenada. Before they vanished on 27 April 2024, they had been sharing idyllic pictures on social media of the waves and secluded beaches.
The Investigation and Discovery
Authorities stated that Silva Raya made contact with the three foreigners in the coastal area of Punta San Jose. The prosecutor's office revealed she "instigated her companions to rob them of their belongings." The surfers were subsequently robbed, shot in the head, and their bodies were discarded in a remote well.
The bodies were eventually discovered by investigators in a sparsely populated region approximately 80km south of Ensenada. The well was located around four miles from the site where they were murdered.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Silva Raya was identified as the romantic partner of one of the other men charged in the killings. Three men arrested on charges of the murders remain in custody and are awaiting trial. The sentencing this week marks a significant development in a case that drew international attention to the safety of tourists in the region.
