American, Aussie Surfers Killed in Mexico for Trucks, Authorities Say

The three bodies discovered in a well in Mexico were identified by family as the three surfers, two Australian brothers and one American, who went missing in late April.

According to state prosecutors, the three men, who were in Mexico’s Baja peninsula for a surfing trip, were allegedly killed by thieves who stole their truck for the tires. The suspects then dumped the bodies into a well about four miles from where the men were killed.

Authorities also found a fourth body inside the well that had been dumped there previously.

Three suspects have been detained in connection to the murders.

The victims were identified as Australians Callum and Jake Robinson and American Jack Carter Rhoad.

Debra Robinson spoke to reporters on Tuesday in San Diego where she remembered her sons as young men who enjoyed sharing their passion for surfing.

According to chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez, investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the suspects arrested in the three murders were also responsible for the murder of the fourth body found in the well.

Andrade Ramírez said the suspects concealed the well by covering it with boards, making it nearly impossible to find.

At a press conference on Sunday, Andrade Ramírez was asked why missing foreign nationals prompted a rapid and massive search when little was done to find locals that have gone missing.

Andrade Ramírez dismissed the question, saying that each investigation was different.

Two of the suspects detained for the murders were arrested for possessing methamphetamines. Prosecutors said the suspects were being held on drug charges while the investigation into the killings continued.

The third man was arrested on kidnapping charges before the bodies were discovered. He is believed to have participated in the murders.

Two Australian surfers were murdered by highway bandits in Sinaloa state in 2015. Three suspects were also arrested in that case.