Original source (on modern site)
Family members have identified the bodies belonging to two Australians and one American tourist, Mexican authorities confirmed. "The confirmation comes given the victims' family members were able to identify them, without the need to obtain genetic proof," authorities said in the statement seen by 9News. The remains of Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and friend Jack Carter Rhoad were discovered over the weekend 10 metres down a well. Authorities believe the trio had been allegedly killed on Mexico's Baja peninsula after fighting back against people trying to steal the tyres on the ute they were travelling in. Meanwhile, local surfers are gathering in Ensenada Plaza this morning in preparation for a protest against ongoing violence in the region. Callum's girlfriend, Emily Horwath, an American who lives in San Diego, expressed her devastation on social media "My heart is shattered into a million pieces," she said. "You are one of one. I will love you forever." Three Mexicans, Jesús Gerardo Garica Cota, alias El Kekas, his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and his brother Christian Alejandro Garcia, have since been charged with forced kidnapping. Sources tell 9News it is believed the trio will be charged with murder in the coming days. In a press conference early this morning, authorities confirmed the three bodies retrieved from the well had been shot through the head, execution-style. Baja California Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramírez said it was believed the three people arrested had engaged in an opportunistic robbery attempt when they tried to steal the men's utes at their remote campsite. The men are thought to have fought back, which prompted gunfire from the alleged thieves. Hayley Jacobs told 9News she saw her close friend Callum the morning he left for Mexico but quickly felt something was wrong when she didn't hear from him during his trip. "I didn't hear from him and like my mum asked me if I heard from them and I was like 'I think he's mad at me?'" she said. "I don't know what's going on but I think he's mad at me, like something doesn't seem right." Jacobs was emotional as she talked about her friend, saying he "lit up a room". "If we're at a restaurant and we were having dinner and he asked for the waiter's name, he would write his name down in his notes and his phone and how he knows how he met him and how he connected with him," she said. "He showed me the notes and it was hundreds of people that he met." Callum had been based in the United States, where he played professional lacrosse. But Jacobs said her friend had new goals returning to Australia. "I asked him what his goals were in life and he just said that he wanted to go back to Australia and raise a family and grow," she said. His Stevenson University lacrosse team had a minute's silence for the man they called "Big Koala", as coach Paul Cantabene told his family their arms were around them. Police believe the Robinson brothers and Rhoad, who have been missing since April 27, were ambushed at their campsite in Baja California region, near Ensenada. Police said shell casings were found at the scene. The Mexican trio were arrested in possession of methamphetamines and one of the missing men's phones. "I'm saying it's a very, very high probability that it is them," Ramírez told 9News. "They were in a state of decomposition. That is why we have to run the genetic tests." Ramírez said evidence found along with the abandoned tents was linked to the three people being questioned about the missing foreigners. "A working team (of investigators) is at the site where they were last seen, where tents and other evidence was found that could be linked to these three people we have under investigation," Ramírez said on Thursday. "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." The US State Department said: "We are aware of those reports (of bodies) and are closely monitoring the situation. At this time we have no further comment." It's understood she turned the phone on, which caused it to ping a local cell tower and allowed authorities to track her down. Surfers in the area told 9News they had seen increased drug-running activity on the beaches by the cartels but they couldn't speak on camera for fear of retribution. 9News understands that three bodies were found on a cliff by the ocean, about 2km away from what is believed to be the men's campsite. During this morning's press conference, Ramirez confirmed the fourth body was not connected to the investigation. It's understood the fourth body was found deeper down the well and had been there longer. "The Mexican authorities running the search say that is the last place they were seen," the Santo Tomas police commander told 9News. 9News' Alison Piotrowski travelled to the site, and described the road nearby the campsite as "very treacherous". Three abandoned tents were also discovered along with the remains of a campfire. "There was a very heavy police presence and an army presence. There were at least 100 soldiers and officers there," Piotrowski said. "None of them were authorised to confirm whether or not it is the bodies of the three men." Callum had moved to the US to pursue lacrosse at college, later playing the sport professionally. Jake was visiting his brother before taking up a new job at a hospital in Geelong, Victoria. The friends had been to the Coachella Festival in California before heading to Mexico. In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were killed in western Sinaloa state, across the Gulf of California — also known as the Sea of Cortez — from the Baja peninsula. Authorities said they were victims of highway bandits. Three suspects were arrested in that case.