Before the Verdict, She Told the Court Her Sons Begged for Mercy — and Were Mocked

Debra (C) and Martin (L) Robinson, the parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, who were murdered during a surfing trip in April 2024, arrive at court for the trial of three murder suspects in Ensenada, Baja California state, Mexico, on October 8, 2026. A Mexican judge is expected to deliver a verdict on October 8 in the high-profile trial of three men accused of murdering two Australian surfers and their US friend in 2024. (Credit: Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images)

The Briefing

• Debra and Martin Robinson delivered emotional victim impact statements Friday morning in an Ensenada courthouse, asking judge Raúl Hernández Arellano to impose maximum sentences on the three men accused of murdering their sons Jake and Callum and American friend Jack Carter Rhoad in April 2024.
• Debra Robinson told the court that her sons pleaded for their lives in their final moments — and that those pleas were ignored and later mocked; Carter Rhoad's fiancée, Natalie Weirtz, addressed the court via video link; the three defendants sat shackled and said nothing.
• The judge pushed back the verdict from 10 a.m. to noon Friday after Thursday's closing arguments session lasted six hours and ran until 7:30 p.m. local time. The Robinsons plan to leave Mexico on Friday afternoon.