A woman named Ari Gisell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the murders of three tourists during a carjacking in Mexico last year. The victims, Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, along with their American friend Carter Rhoad, disappeared in April 2024 while on a surfing trip in Baja California. Their bodies were later discovered with gunshot wounds at the bottom of a well.
Gisell pleaded guilty to instigating the attack, having reportedly expressed an interest in the victims’ vehicle and instructed her then-boyfriend, Jesús Gerardo, to acquire valuable items from the surfers. In addition to Gerardo, two other men, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús, were involved in the crime, trailing the victims to their campsite before robbing and killing them. The legal proceedings for these three men are ongoing.
Gisell’s co-defendants, Gerardo and Francisco, are said to have ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel, which has a prominent history in Mexico. Both men are currently held in a maximum-security prison in Baja California, while Ángel Jesús is detained in a different facility. Prosecutors have stated that there is no evidence linking the murders to organized crime, despite the affiliations of some suspects.
During the court hearing, the victims’ families expressed their grief via video conference, reflecting on their tremendous loss. Debra Robinson, the mother of Jake and Callum, spoke about her dreams for their futures that have now been shattered. Both brothers had promising careers, with Callum being part of Australia’s national lacrosse team and Jake set to begin a new job as a doctor.
Ari Gisell offered an emotional apology in court, stating that her actions were inexcusable and expressing her desire to become a better person.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jrjr4wrr2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss