The parents of brothers Callum and Jake Robinson have expressed their grief at their sons’ deaths in a heartbreaking statement.
The brothers were staying in Mexico with their American friend Jake Carter Rhoad when the trio vanished. Local authorities found the bodies of all three of the missing men in a well. They all had a single gunshot wound to the head, and police believe they were killed in a “robbery gone wrong”.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Cal and Jake have been murdered,” Debra, the mother of Callum and Jake, said in a tearful speech to the public.
“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us. We also mourn the loss of [Jack] Carter Rhoad, a close friend. They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together.
“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.”
Debra thanked Australians for their outpouring of support, and said she was extremely proud of her boys and their achievements — Jake, who was a doctor in Perth, and Callum, who played professional lacrosse in the US.
“Jake’s passion was surfing and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to surfing beaches,” she said.
She described him as “happy, gentle and compassionate”, and said Callum had a “larger than life character”.
The statement comes a day after Callum’s girlfriend Emily Howarth, who he lived with in San Diego, shared a voicemail Callum had sent her that she was “listening to on repeat.”
“Happy Tuesday, good morning! It’s 11.11 and I’m just thinking about you,” Callum can be heard saying in the voicemail.
“I’m sensing a big grin on your face for some reason today. I hope you’re full of positivity and smiles. Cheers baby, miss you.”
Mexican police revealed they found blood and shell casings at the campsite where the men were last seen, and found their bodies 2km away.
Two Mexican men and one woman were arrested on Wednesday and charged with kidnapping.
Police said the trio were located after the woman was allegedly found to be in possession of one of the Robinson brother’s phones, which pinged a mobile tower nearby.
No one has been charged for the mens’ deaths yet.
