Skip to content

Crime & JusticeDeveloping

Mexican judge convicts three men in 2024 killings of two Australian surfers and US friend

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets across the spectrum.

13 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Memorial photo frame with portraits and handwritten message on a beach, flowers and rocks nearby
Image via CBS NewsHow images are chosenReport this image

Three men were charged in the 2024 killings of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad, who were killed during a surfing trip to Baja California, Mexico. Reports say a Mexican judge has now found the three men guilty of murder. According to Al Jazeera, the judge also convicted them of armed robbery and armed carjacking, and the defendants had been in custody for more than two years. Martin Robinson, the brothers’ father, said the verdict was a significant moment in the family’s long search for justice. Earlier reports said the case had raised concerns about the safety of tourists visiting Mexico.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. A Mexican judge found three men guilty of the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad.

    Reported byLeft3Center3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, CBS News, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    BBC News, Sky News, Deutsche Welle

  2. The three friends were killed in 2024 during a surfing trip to Mexico.

    Reported byLeft2Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Sky News
    Right
    The Washington Times

  3. Before the verdict, the trial had entered its final stage, with a ruling expected within days.

    Reported byLeft1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Right
    The Washington Times, New York Post

  4. According to Al Jazeera, the judge also convicted the men of armed robbery and armed carjacking, and they had been in custody for more than two years.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  5. Martin Robinson, the brothers’ father, said the verdict was a significant moment in the family’s long search for justice.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • When the judge would rule on the case

    The AFP report carried by the Guardian said the verdict was expected Thursday, the New York Post said the judge would rule Friday, and Al Jazeera said the trial concluded Friday.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    4 outlets

    Left-side headlines state the convictions plainly, with the Guardian and CBS using guilty and convicted and Al Jazeera using sentences, while Al Jazeera’s description leads with chilling details of the killings; the Guardian’s pre-verdict piece was an AFP report.

    3 Men Found Guilty in Murders of Tourists on Mexico Surf Trip
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center headlines lead with found guilty or guilty verdict and name the victims, while the BBC’s second headline frames the piece as how the trial ended, and the descriptions focus on the bodies found in a well and the mother’s call for accountability.

    How the trial of two murdered Australian surfers ended in a guilty verdict
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Right-side coverage here consists of two AP reports, carried by the Washington Times and the New York Post, both written before the verdict; their headlines describe a trial nearing its verdict and name the victims by nationality, as AP wrote them.

    Three men found guilty of murdering Australian brothers and American friend on Mexico surfing trip
    Fox NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    chilling details

  • Center1

    botched robbery

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    botched robberyMore neutral: suspected robbery

    Calling the robbery botched presumes it happened and went wrong, while the same excerpt says it was only suspected.

    …of two Australian brothers and their American friend, who were killed during a botched robbery which sparked international outrage.

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

  • Sensational language

    chilling detailsMore neutral: detailed evidence

    The adjective adds emotional drama to a description of evidence that could be stated without judgement.

    The trial in Baja California had revealed chilling details of the triple homicide of the surfers.

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets

Leads with

  • the convictions and verdict
  • the family’s pursuit of justice
  • the killings as shocking to Mexico

Leaves out

  • concern about the safety of tourists visiting Mexico

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The New York TimesLeft

    3 Men Found Guilty in Murders of Tourists on Mexico Surf Trip

    The 2024 killings of two Australian brothers and their American friend drew international attention.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Al Jazeera EnglishLeft

    Mexican judge sentences three men for murders of Australian, US surfers

    The trial in Baja California had revealed Sensational language“chilling details”The adjective adds emotional drama to a description of evidence that could be stated without judgement.More neutral: detailed evidenceDisagree with this highlight? of the triple homicide of the surfers.

    Read at Al Jazeera English (opens in a new tab)
  • CBS NewsLeft

    3 men convicted of killing American, Australian surfers in Mexico

    A local judge has found three men guilty of murdering two Australian brothers and their American friend in Baja California, Mexico, in April 2024.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    Three men found guilty of murders of Australian surfer brothers and US friend in Mexico

    Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, 30 and 33, and friend Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed on a surfing trip in 2024 Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A Mexican judge has convicted three men of the 2024 murders of two Australian surfers and …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeftAgence France-Presse report

    Men accused of shooting Australian surfer brothers and US friend dead in Mexico to learn fate as trial concludes

    Martin and Debra Robinson, the brothers’ parents, will address the court before a Mexican judge hands down the verdict A Mexican judge is expected to hand down his verdict Thursday in the high-profile murder trial of three men accused of killing two Australian surfers and their …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • the guilty verdict
  • the bodies found at the bottom of a well
  • the mother’s call for accountability

Leaves out

  • the armed robbery and carjacking convictions

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • the trial nearing a verdict
  • the victims’ nationalities
  • concern about tourist safety in Mexico

Leaves out

  • the guilty verdict, which neither report covers

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Three men found guilty of murdering Australian brothers and American friend on Mexico surfing trip

    Prosecutors are seeking 210 years in prison for each defendant convicted in the murders of the Australian brothers and their American friend.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    3 Mexican men found guilty of killing Australian brothers, US pal on surfing trip

    Three Mexican men were found guilty of murdering Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and American Carter Redd Rhoad on a Baja surf trip.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightAssociated Press report

    Trial in killings of 3 US, Australian surfers in Mexico nears verdict

    A Mexican judge will rule Friday in the trial of three men accused of killing surfers Callum and Jake Robinson and Jack Carter Rhoad.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Trial in killings of 3 foreign surfers in Mexico nears verdict

    The trial of three men accused of killing two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip to Mexico in 2024 entered its final stage Thursday, in a case that raised concerns about the safety of tourists visiting the country.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Guardian, Oct 8, 4:40 PM EDT

  • Center

    1 day later

    Its first report, Oct 9, 5:04 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 hr 40 min later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 6:21 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The GuardianLeftOct 8, 4:40 PM EDT
  2. The Washington TimesRightOct 8, 6:21 PM EDT
  3. New York PostRightOct 9, 6:23 AM EDT
  4. BBC NewsCenterOct 9, 5:04 PM EDT
  5. Sky NewsCenterOct 9, 6:20 PM EDT
  6. CBS NewsLeftOct 9, 8:15 PM EDT
  7. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 9, 10:21 PM EDT
  8. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 10, 10:37 AM EDT
  9. The New York TimesLeftOct 10, 2:25 PM EDT
  10. Fox NewsFar RightOct 11, 5:36 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page