It was meant to be the “trip of a lifetime” — partying at Coachella and then surfing and camping along the gorgeous Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico.
Callum Robinson, 33, an Australia former college lacrosse star with chiseled abs and a flowing mane of hair worthy of Chris Hemsworth, was met by his little brother Jake, 30, who flew in from the Land Down Under. His pal Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, an apparel designer in San Diego, also tagged along.
But their tourists’ made-for-social media journey appears to have ended in tragedy. Mexican authorities believe their bodies are the ones pulled the bottom of a 50-foot well in a remote part of the Mexican state.
Police believe the three were carjacked — and then summarily executed.
Three suspects are in custody — a local man, his girlfriend and his brother. All three allegedly had meth on them, and the woman was carrying a cellphone belonging to one of the victims, according to local media reports.
The Robinsons and Rhoad were reported missing last Saturday after they failed to arrive at their Airbnb in Rosarito — a beach city about 15 miles from the US border.
They were believed to have been camping at popular surf spot La Bocana in the Mexican countryside, some 130 miles south of San Diego.
The state prosecutor told Australia’s 7News that there’s evidence that the three men resisted their attackers, and that’s what led to their murders.
“When they tried to get the vehicle, the victims opposed the robbery, the robbers were armed with a firearm and apparently shot the victims,” Baja California’s chief prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez told the outlet.
Investigators had originally suspected foul play upon finding abandoned tents in the area, the Attorney General of Baja California said Thursday.
They also found a burnt white pick-up truck — similar to the white Chevrolet Colorado pickup the men were driving, according to a missing persons poster.
Mexican officials have not officially confirmed that three of the bodies are Rhoad and the Robinson brothers, but said there was a “high degree of probability” they were executed.
Multiple sources confirmed their identities to Reuters this week, however.
Callum Robinson moved to the US to pursue a lacrosse career in 2013, where he played for Stevenson University and later won the NCAA’s Division III lacrosse championship.
Robinson’s alma mater paid tribute to their standout star, who started in 65 of the 66 games he appeared in from 2013 to 2015.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our dear teammate and friend, Callum Robinson,” the team announced on Facebook. “From his days leading us to victory on the field to his unwavering commitment to academic excellence, Callum was a true inspiration to us all.”
The Maryland-based school remembered Callum Robinson for “his infectious spirit and larger-than-life personality.”
“With his beautiful long hair and charming smile, he truly embodied the nickname ‘big koala’—warm, friendly, and always there to lend a helping hand,” the school said.
“Though he may be gone, Callum’s legacy will live on in our hearts forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Rest easy, Callum. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.”
Following his collegiate career, Callum was drafted by the Chesapeake Bayhawks as the 27th overall pick in the 2015 draft for the now-defunct Major League Lacrosse.
He went on to play for Australia’s Men’s National Team and joined the Professional Lacrosse League where he started 11 games for Atlas LC and even traveled with the team for the 2019 championship series in Utah,
Jake Robinson, who was set to start a new position at a hospital in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, was remembered by his parents as a “gentle soul.”
Three Mexican nationals — Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, alias El Kekas, his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and Jesus’ brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia — were arrested in connection to the disappearance, but haven’t been charged with murder.
“It should be noted that the rapid intervention of the [police] allowed three people to be under investigation, and currently an arrest warrant was obtained before the criminal courts of the State Superior Court of Justice for the crime of forced disappearance of people,” the Baja California state Attorney General said in a statement.
The attorney general’s office said it was working with the FBI, the US and Australian Consulate.
A fourth body was found inside the well where the three missing surfers were discovered. Authorities believe it is the decomposed remains of a rancher who owned the property, who was reported missing two weeks earlier.
