A Mexican court in Ensenada on Thursday sentenced 23-year-old Ary Gisell Silva to 20 years in prison for her role in a robbery that led to the April 2024 killings of three surfers at a popular Baja California surf spot.
The victims were Australian brothers Jake Robinson (30) and Callum Robinson (33), and 30-year-old American Jack Carter Rhoad. Investigators say the men were camping at a remote beach when they were attacked during what authorities believe was an attempt to steal their pickup truck.
According to the prosecution, Silva admitted during the trial that she instigated and participated in the robbery of the tourists' belongings. Court records say she urged her accomplices to target the surfers after noticing valuables, reportedly telling them, "They have good phones and good tires." The court found Silva guilty of offenses related to violent robbery.
Court testimony indicated Silva first made contact with the group and then encouraged her boyfriend and two other men to carry out the theft. Silva told investigators that her boyfriend later returned from the campsite and confessed to having "done something to three gringos," later saying, "I killed them," when she asked what he meant.
Three other suspects have been arrested and face separate murder charges; their trials are being held independently from Silva's case. Prosecutors say the assailants surprised the surfers and shot them on April 28. The victims had been reported missing on April 27, and their bodies were discovered on May 3 hidden in a cliff area near the campsite.
Reaction and context
The killings prompted widespread outrage and grief in the victims' home countries and drew public condolences from the lacrosse community; Callum Robinson had played professional lacrosse in the United States and was nicknamed "the big koala." The U.S. Premier Lacrosse League described the lacrosse world as "heartbroken" at the loss.
Authorities noted that violent attacks on foreign tourists have occurred previously in Mexico's Pacific coastal regions. In November 2015, two Australian surfers — Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman — were murdered while traveling through the state of Sinaloa.
This case highlights concerns about safety in remote tourism areas and the legal consequences for those involved in violent robberies that lead to loss of life.
