Found Deceased Mexico - Jake & Callum Robinson,Jack Carter Rhoad 30’s, Australian, & Friend, surfing trip in the Baja California, 28 April 2024

[Breezie]

I've looked at this case admittedly briefly since I found out about these men's disappearance. Didn't know about the blood and teeth found at the campsite; that's awful. I'm sadly suspecting the worst. I hope they are found soon. So unfortunate, on a holiday as well.... Tragic really for everyone involved.

Two of the three were big guys at 6’4 and 6’2. One was a professional athlete.
If the woman and two guys arrested with her were the only ones who attacked them, then they probably attacked them, when they were sleeping or somehow caught them off guard. They probably would not have been afraid to try and stop a couple of smaller guys even if they had weapons.

 

[Cryptic]

Mexico is poisonous. Too much wealth. Too much poverty. (Both sides are guilty of foulplay.) In my opinion.

I agree- parts of Mexico are very poisonous. As a side note, Mexico is not a poor country by global standards.

That aside, Baja California was never venemous in the past. There was a narco presence, but it was restricted to Tijuana proper and "players".

Anything south of Rosarito and into the interior of the peninsula was small town Mexico- which is (err...perhaps was) very similar to small town USA. I even met one American who went all the way down the peninsula on horseback. I also met a professor who went all over the peninsula gathering info on Baja's fading indigenous languages.

Even historically, Baja California avoided all the chaos and banditry from Mexico's multiple revolutions. It has never had a violent reputation. This is just awful. I really dont think the men were doing anything reckless at all. "It could have been me" really comes to mind here.

 

[Cedars]

Though its been 20 years, I used to travel to the Ensenada area and the surrounding areas frequently as well.

As you implied, the area is (or was?) over all very safe with common sense precautions and made for an excellent day trip from San Diego.

Even in Tijuana, I never felt threatened. Granted- I stayed away from the drug scene and the infamous Zona Rosa's low scale and up scale brothels- all with a strong USMC and USN uhhmmm..... "customer" base.

Yes, but camping alone on a very isolated beach is different. Used to be common with surfers, but unfortunately there have been attacks since drugs arrived.
Photo of beach here:

Police find alleged tents of missing Australian and American surfers in Mexico

Mexican authorities said Thursday they have found tents and questioned three people in the case of two Australians and an American who went missing over the weekend in the Pacific coast state of Baja California.

www.nbcdfw.com

My opinion only, it might have started out as an attempt to steal the truck...

JMO

 

[Cryptic]

Yes, but camping alone on a very isolated beach is different. Used to be common with surfers, but unfortunately there have been attacks since drugs arrived.

My opinion only, it might have started out as an attempt to steal the truck...

I think you could be right about the truck.

As a side note, it looks like the suspects came from further south and the victims were closer to Ensenada. Towns further south would be lower income as they would not have Tijuana's industrial economy, nor Ensenada's tourism economy.

Ensenada has always been known as a tourist town. I wonder if the perpetrators drove up the coast for the sole purpose of finding tourists in the Ensenada area to attack? In short, this might not have been an impulse crime.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

My heart goes out to their families. They did nothing wrong by camping alone, etc.
This is 100% on any evil suspects.

This reminds me of another recent case, a young German man hiking in Capetown who has gone missing, and some people later arrested with his belongings. So it is happening in many places, and we can't be expected not to live our lives.
ETA: It is so angering...

 

[charminglane]

It breaks my heart.
Ensenada was always my favorite trip to camp. Driving by myself with the top down on a Friday afternoon after work to meet my friends who had left earlier.
Haven't been in years due to reports of situations like this.
These men are in my soul today.
As well as their parents.

 

[Breezie]

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/three-arrested-during-search-for-missing-aussie-brothers-on-surf-trip-in-mexico/news-story/c736dbf0c92865bd9ef9f77fd501ea88

Local media has reported blood was discovered in the tents.

A burnt-out car was also found on a ranch in the Santo Tomás area after the ranch manager called 911 on Thursday (local time), according to local media TalkBaja.


It makes it more likely that they were attacked while sleeping if blood was found inside the tents. How did the attackers move them out of the area? The brothers weights were listed at 250 and 205. The American was 150.

 

[Chimera]

Chilling final posts from the three surfers who vanished in Mexico

Australian brothers Jake, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, from San Diego, vanished without a trace in Mexico.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'There is a lot of important information that we can't make public.'

While drug cartels are active in the area, she said 'all lines of investigation are open at this time. We cannot rule anything out until we find them.'

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/03/americas/mexico-missing-american-and-australian-tourists-intl-hnk/index.html

“They were likely surfing. Callum is diabetic—this is a very dire situation.”

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-05-03/three-surfers-drove-to-mexico-from-california-then-they-disap

peared

Baja California’s rugged coastline and epic waves have long attracted surfers from north of the border. In recent years, the state has been convulsed in violence, much of it connected to the drug trade. Last year, authorities recorded 2,116 homicides in the state — giving it one of the highest homicide rates in Mexico.

Hope they're found safe, but it looks bad.

No ransom demands for the three ?
Wondering about motive.
Omo.

 

[Cedars]

Hope they're found safe, but it looks bad.
No ransom demands for the three ?
Wondering about motive.

JMO, I doubt these perps were sophisticated enough to make ransom demands.

 

[Cedars]

My heart goes out to their families. They did nothing wrong by camping alone, etc.
This is 100% on any evil suspects.

This reminds me of another recent case, a young German man hiking in Capetown who has gone missing, and some people later arrested with his belongings. So it is happening in many places, and we can't be expected not to live our lives.
ETA: It is so angering...

I don't believe anyone is saying it's ever the victims' fault. IMO, it's just that there are predators in the world, and many of them are human. Australian surfers no doubt know about sharks, and probably don't surf where they may lurk, whereas a tourist might not know that. Similarly, Mexicans on holiday don't go to isolated beaches, they go camping at beaches where there are lots of other people.

JMO

 

[whitelilac]

JMO, I doubt these perps were sophisticated enough to make ransom demands.

And they are young. The woman arrested is 23, and the girlfriend of one of the other two men. I assume they are all likely in their 20s. I think they saw the opportunity to steal, money, phones etc.
They took the vehicle, but they set it on fire though.
Then might these three have been attempting to prove their "street cred" to a cartel they wished to join?
It's horrific.

 

[Breezie]

And they are young. The woman arrested is 23, and the girlfriend of one of the other two men. I assume they are all likely in their 20s. I think they saw the opportunity to steal, money, phones etc.
They took the vehicle, but they set it on fire though.
Then might these three have been attempting to prove their "street cred" to a cartel they wished to join?
It's horrific.

The three arrested were described as some being directly involved and some indirectly involved. Assuming the woman was indirectly involved, why did she turn the phone on. Most people would realize that cell phones can be tracked when they are turned on. They went to a lot of trouble to get rid of the vehicle and to move the Robinsons and Rhoad. Did the woman have no awareness of cell phone tracking or did she know what would happen and want to get away from the two men?

 

[Cedars]

And they are young. The woman arrested is 23, and the girlfriend of one of the other two men. I assume they are all likely in their 20s. I think they saw the opportunity to steal, money, phones etc.
They took the vehicle, but they set it on fire though.
Then might these three have been attempting to prove their "street cred" to a cartel they wished to join?
It's horrific.

I agree, young and stupid.

IMO, often it is just circumstances, impulsive, not clearly intentional.

For example, years ago in southern Mexico, visitors just went for the day to an isolated beach. They didn't know, but it had become the hideout for a local drug gang. Plus their timing was terrible because some in the gang had recently murdered another gang member on the beach.

So, this innocent couple, with a nice vehicle, walks right into to a crime scene with desperate drug users/dealers, who are already panicked and terrified of repercussions....no, they did not make it out.

Wrong time, wrong place.

JMO

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Three bodies found in Mexico where Australian, US tourists went missing - sources | Law-Order

A state prosecutor said on Thursday that three people were being investigated in regards to the case, though it was unclear whether they were involved in the disappearance of the men. The U.S. embassy in Mexico and Australia's foreign ministry in Canberra did not immediately respond to...

www.devdiscourse.com

Mexican authorities have located three bodies in an area of northern Mexico where two Australians and one American were reported missing in Baja California, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation.

 

[Breezie]

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/three-bodies-found-area-where-australian-us-tourists-went-missing-sources-2024-05-03/

It is on Reuters and will probably be on more news outlets soon.

MEXICO CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have located three bodies in an area of northern Mexico where two Australians and one American were reported missing in Baja California, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

The family pictures show the two young men and the parents.
Are these there only 2 children. ??
Unbelievable pain. Forever.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/three-bodies-found-area-where-australian-us-tourists-went-missing-sources-2024-05-03/

It is on Reuters and will probably be on more news outlets soon.

MEXICO CITY, May 3 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities have located three bodies in an area of northern Mexico where two Australians and one American were reported missing in Baja California, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation.

omg.... will they even get any answers to this horror.

 

[Angeline]

Oh no... if this is the case, my heart is broken.

<modsnip: referenced post was removed> I can't bear to think about it.

I can't understand why a robbery escalated to murder. It seems a whole lot more complicated for the perps. And the car? Usually cars get stolen and set on fire when they've been used to commit other crimes.

This is just awful - and I haven't seen any other siblings in the family photos. I think the 2 sons were the only children

 

[Angeline]

This article seems to confirm that the bodies have been found

Bodies of three missing surfers found, Baja California authorities say

The bodies of three missing surfers, including a man reportedly from San Diego, have been found, according to Mexican authorities.

fox5sandiego.com

 

[Herat]

It seems as though these three are likely to have been murdered and at least finding the bodies would help answer some questions.

Sadly, what seem to be isolated beaches perfect for camping near little villages in Mexico are not ever safe, even for 3 adult men. This area is 108 driving miles from the US border in Tijuana.