The parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, who were murdered on a surfing holiday in Mexico, have addressed U.S. media after the harrowing task of identifying their sons’ bodies.
Martin and Debra Robinson spoke to reporters in the U.S. on May 7 after travelling from Mexico to San Diego, California.
Mr. Robinson thanked friends and family in Australia and the US, who he said had been a massive support through the tragic news.
He also expressed gratitude to government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Embassy in Mexico, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who had personally phoned the couple.
Standing on the beach in California, Mrs. Robinson spoke through both smiles and tears as she remembered her sons.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake Robinson have been murdered,” she told media.
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“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us.
“We also mourn the loss of Carter Rhoad, a close friend. They were young men, enjoying their passion of surfing together.”
Mrs. Robinson said support from family and friends had been a comfort in their time of need.
“We also send a message to our family and friends, Jake’s and Callum’s friends, and all the people that have reached out to us,” she said.
“We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of emotion and support that we have received for Callum and Jake. We know that they were truly loved and impacted many people’s lives.
“We have always been very proud of their academic and sporting achievements and admired their life choices.”
Mrs. Robinson said Callum, 33, was known as the “big koala,” called the US his second home and loved his lacrosse career and coaching juniors.
She described his brother Jake, 3o, as a happy and gentle soul who loved music and festivals and was pursuing a career in medicine.
“Sadly, he was also a cricket tragic and last year travelled to England to watch the Aussies play,” Mrs. Robinson said with a smile, before becoming consumed by tears as she spoke of her sons’ final journey home.
“Now it’s time to bring them home to family and friends and the ocean waves in Australia.
“Please live bigger, shine brighter and love harder in their memory.”
Callum’s partner Emily Horwath took to social media to pay tribute to the Australian lacrosse champion, saying her love for him would never end.
“My heart is shattered into a million pieces. You are one of one. I will love you forever,” she said.
Men Murdered Amid High Homicide Rate in Mexico
Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad, 30, were last seen alive on April 27.
Prosecutors in Baja California, where the men were killed, believe the alleged killers had engaged in a carjacking, intending to steal tyres from their white Chevrolet utility, but the brothers and their friend fought back.
The three men died from gunshot wounds before being dumped in a remote, boarded up well where police discovered their bodies last week—as well as a fourth, earlier murder victim unrelated to the trio.
The Australian Smart Traveller website, which was updated last month, advises Australians heading to Mexico to exercise a high degree of caution due to the threat of violent crime.
According to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, residents of Baja California reported 27,211 criminal incidents per 100,000 people in 2022.
In May last year, 19 people were shot, 10 fatally, when a group of gunmen ambushed a car rally in the same region.
The World Population Review recorded 26.11 homicides per 100,000 people in Mexico in 2022, placing it among the 10 countries with the highest murder rate. The rate is in stark contrast with the global rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people.
Mexican authorities have apprehended some suspects in the case and are believed to be investigating further leads.
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