The bodies of three tourists from Australia and the United States who had gone missing in Baja California have been identified, Mexican authorities confirmed on Sunday. The victims were identified as Callum and Jake Robinson, two brothers from Perth, Australia, and Jack Carter Rhoad from San Diego.
The three tourists had been on vacation, surfing and camping along the coast near Ensenada when they disappeared on April 27. Their families became worried when they did not show up at their Airbnb in another coastal town. The bodies were discovered in a 50-foot-deep water hole near La Bocana beach, along with an unidentified male body that was not related to the case.
Each of the bodies had a gunshot wound to the head, according to María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the state’s attorney general. Three suspects have been detained in connection with the killings, with one charged with forced disappearance. The suspect allegedly tried to rob the victims of their pickup truck and shot them when they resisted.
Authorities also found a burned campsite in a remote area south of Ensenada, along with blood stains and a single shell casing. The tourists’ burned pickup truck was abandoned nearby. Ms. Andrade Ramírez stated that there is no indication that organized crime gangs were involved in the killings, and the motive appears to be robbery.
The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests may be made in connection with the case. The tragic deaths of these tourists serve as a reminder of the dangers that can be encountered while traveling in unfamiliar places.
