The bodies of two murdered Perth brothers have been transported across the border from Mexico to the United States, beginning their journey home.
Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were on a surfing and camping trip in northern Mexico when they failed to check in to their pre-booked accommodation near the city of Ensenada on April 27.
When police arrived at their last known whereabouts, they discovered a campsite covered in blood.
Days later, three bodies were found dumped in a well about 6km away and on Sunday, their families confirmed their identities.
Mexican authorities believe that at some point between the afternoon of April 27 and the following day, several people approached the trio intending to steal their vehicle, and “due to the reaction of the victims, they deprived them of their lives”.
The medical examiner in Baja California confirmed that they each died from one bullet wound to the head.
On Tuesday, in an emotional statement on Ocean Beach where their son Callum had been living, their mother Debra Robinson said it was “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.”
And on Friday, their bodies were moved to a funeral home in San Diego.
Bombshell confession
On Thursday, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda confirmed three people were in custody as a result of the investigation into the execution-style killings.
One of them was identified as 33-year-old Mexican national Jesús Gerardo – also known by the alias, el Kekas – who made his first appearance in court on Wednesday. He is charged with forced disappearance, equivalent to kidnapping.
He has a criminal record that includes drug dealing, vehicle theft and domestic violence.
During the hearing, the judge read a letter from a woman who identified herself as his girlfriend, who was taken into custody after an iPhone belonging to one of the murdered men was found in her possession.
She has told police she was not involved with the deaths, but alleges Gerardo confessed to the killings, telling her he “f***** up three Gringos”, and when she asked him what he meant, he responded: “I killed them.”
Gerardo has not entered a plea and remains in police custody until his next court hearing in November.
His brother was also arrested but has not been charged.
7NEWS understands authorities have not ruled out the possibility that others were involved.
While Baja California has been plagued by drug cartel violence in recent years, it rarely occurs in tourist areas like Ensenada. Dozens of people held a protest last week in Ensenada calling on authorities to do more to tackle violence facing tourists and locals alike.
While parts of Mexico are established tourist destinations, violent crime including kidnapping and human trafficking plague parts of the country, particularly in border areas.
Mexico’s homicide rate is among the highest in the world, and more than 100,000 people remain missing in the country. Studies show only around seven per cent of murders in Mexico are ever solved.
– with 7NEWS US correspondent Mylee Hogan, NBC, CNN and AP
