First Sentence Handed Down in Tragic Surfing Trip Murders
A 23-year-old single mother has become the first individual to be sentenced in connection with the alleged murder of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing holiday in Mexico. Ari Gisell faces a potential 20 years in prison for her involvement in the tragic events that unfolded in Baja California.
The Disappearance and Discovery
Callum and Jake Robinson, from Perth, along with their friend Jack Carter Rhoad from San Diego, were reported missing on April 27 last year while on a surfing trip. Their bodies were discovered days later on May 3 at the bottom of a well, alongside a fourth body identified as a local rancher not directly connected to their case.
Prosecutor Raúl Gerardo Cobo Montejano told the court that Gisell, the ex-girlfriend of primary accused Jesús Gerardo, acted as the 'instigator' in the crime. The court heard she had expressed interest in the tyres of the vehicle the tourists were driving and told her then-boyfriend she wanted them for herself.
Courtroom Emotion and Sentencing
During emotional court proceedings, the victims' families delivered powerful impact statements. Debra Robinson, mother of Callum and Jake, said her sons' futures had been stolen. 'Our hearts are broken beyond repair... The silence in our home is deafening. There are no words for the emptiness, the weight of their absence,' she told the court.
Natalie Weirtz, the widow of Jack Carter Rhoad, who was set to marry him in August last year, described her life as now being a nightmare. 'Carter was the love of my life ... He was my safety in the world,' she said in her statement.
Gisell reportedly cried while listening to the testimonies before delivering her own apologetic statement. 'I know that nothing I can say will compensate or give you peace,' she said in English. 'I assure you that I did not know what would happen that night.'
Gisell pleaded guilty to robbery with violence and was sentenced to 14 years for robbery of a vehicle with violence, plus an additional 6 years for robbery with violence. She was also fined 54,285 Mexican pesos (approximately $4,563).
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The three main accused - Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús - have all been charged with aggravated homicide. They recently rejected plea deals that would have seen them serve prison terms of 47 to 52 years, meaning they now face significantly harsher sentences if found guilty.
Prosecutor Montejano has requested 210-year jail sentences for each of the three men, with an additional 168-year sentence for Jesús Gerardo on charges of forced disappearance. None of the three men have entered formal pleas, and their trial date has not yet been set.
Authorities continue to hunt for a separate fourth suspected murderer, whose nickname is known to prosecutors but hasn't been publicly disclosed. A fourth man who was allegedly present has cooperated with authorities and is not believed responsible for the murders or robbery.
Although Baja California is known for cartel activity, authorities maintain the killings were not tied to organised crime. However, documents have suggested two of the accused have connections to the violent Sinaloa cartel, leading to their transfer to a high-security desert prison.
The victims have been commemorated with three wooden statues installed overlooking the North Baja coast, where a traditional paddle-out ceremony was held in their memory by the surfing community.
