‘We don’t have a family anymore’: Parents of brothers killed in Mexico speak out
The parents of two brothers killed on a surfing trip in Mexico have made a heartbreaking confession four months on from the tragedy.
Perth brother Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, were holidaying in Baja California, one of Mexico’s most dangerous states, with US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad, when they were killed in what Mexican police described as a robbery gone wrong on April 27.
The brother’s grieving parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, rushed to California weeks later following the discovery of the pair’s bodies inside a well at a remote campsite after a burnt-out ute helped lead police to the grim discovery.
The parents of two brothers killed on a surfing trip to Mexico say they "don't have a family anymore".
Months on, the couple said they were still struggling to come to terms with the death of their sons, who they said they just wanted to “have a good life”.
“We had these dreams, as every parents do, for their children,” Debra Robinson said.
“And I just wanted them to have a good life. Now, they’re not going to happen and we have to readjust to that, that fact we don’t have a family anymore,” Martin Robinson told 9News.
The couple said friends, family, and strangers had rallied behind them following the brothers’ disappearance, donating some $500,000 in memory of the pair. Those funds will now be used to set up a charity in Australia and the US.
The parents said they would use the “huge amount of money at” their disposal to “make differences in people’s lives”, with the charity to help those wanting to get into medicine or to get ahead in sport, in memory of Callum, a lacrosse player.
“Something that we learnt about our children which has become more apparent is that they really encouraged other people, so we are hoping that the money will be used to encourage other people to pursue what they need to,” Mr Robinson said.
With donations still coming in, Mr Robinson added that their “focus is going to be on looking at how we can continue with fundraising so it’s not only a sustainable fund, but it’s an opportunity to keep the memory of the boys alive.”
Authorities in Mexico have arrested four Mexican nationals in relation to the trio’s deaths, previously allegeding one of the men, Jesus Gerardo, was motivated to steal from the boys before killing each with a single bullet to the head.
Mexican prosecutors allege Gerardo, also known as “El Kakas” then moved the bodies, possibly with the help of others, before disposing them in a well and torching the campsite. His partner was also arrested before turning star witness.
Originally published as ‘We don’t have a family anymore’: Parents of brothers killed in Mexico speak out
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