'Shine brighter, love harder': Tributes pour in for the slain surfers killed in Mexico

The parents of two of the surfers who were killed in Mexico gave a tearful tribute at a San Diego beach, saying "the world has become a darker place," since the death of their sons.

Debra and Martin Robinson, the parents of Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, shared their grief on Tuesday with a crowd of mourners in Ocean Beach, in the San Diego metro area.

“Our hearts are broken,” Debra Robinson said. 

Missing tourists:Found dead in Mexican well were trying to stop carjacking: Officials

The two Australian brothers and their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, went missing on April 27 while on a surfing trip in Ensenada, Mexico, less than 100 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The bodies of the three men were found at the bottom of a 50-foot well. The victims had gunshot wounds on their bodies. It is believed that the trio were killed after intervening in an apparent carjacking, the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office said during a press conference on Sunday. 

“Now it’s time to bring them home to family and friends, and the ocean waves in Australia,” Robinson said. “Please live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory.” 

Professional Lacrosse League issues a statement about Callum Robinson 

Callum Robinson was a former Atlas LC player for the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL).

“The PLL family and entire lacrosse world are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Callum Robinson, Jake Robinson, and Jack Carter Rhoad,” PLL Co-Founders Paul and Mike Rabil said in a statement. “During these unimaginably difficult times, we offer our hearts, support and prayers to the Robinson and Rhoad Families, as well as all who loved Callum, Jake, and Jack.” 

PLL described Robinson as a great player who uplifted the team with his positivity. 

“From the moment he joined the PLL and Atlas LC, Callum brought an incredible spirit and huge heart to the game – energizing both teammates and opponents, audiences, and every member of our company,” Rabil said. “Callum was a rock for us in the early days of our league and our COVID season – his genuine positivity made every person he spent time with better. A coach for PLL Play and a beacon for growing the sport internationally, Callum’s impact on our game will be felt forever.”

Callum Robinson’s girlfriend shares a voice message from him

In an Instagram story post, Callum Robinson‘s girlfriend, Emily Horwath, shared a touching tribute to him with a picture of them together. 

“This man changed my life in ways I can’t even put into words,” Horwath wrote. “I don’t yet understand a world without him and his energy in it. I feel so grateful to have loved him.” 

In Horwarth’s Instagram highlights, she shared a voice message that Robinson send to her and she captioned the post, “will be playing this on repeat.”

“Happy Tuesday, Good Morning,” Robinson said in the message. “It’s 11:11 and I’m just thinking about you. Just wanted to drop you a quick message and say hello baby. Hope you’re having a phenomenal start to your day. I’m sensing a big grin on your face for some reason today. I hope you’re full of positivity and smiles.” 

Robinson ends the message saying, “Cheers baby. Miss ya.” 

Three people detained in surfers' slayings

Baja chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez said a warrant was issued for Jesús Gerardo “N”, alias “El Kekas”, charging him with forced disappearance of people in connection to the case. That suspect, Ramírez said, was in custody on Sunday.

Two other people, a man and a woman, had also been detained in connection to the killings, Ramírez announced. Officials did not identify the pair the the time of the announcement.

Ramírez said officials believed the killers saw the victims' tents and pickup truck and wanted to steal their tires, but when the victims "came up and caught them, surely, they resisted.”

Suspects' girlfriend appears in court and reveals a confession

During her court appearance on Wednesday, Jesús Gerardo's girlfriend recalled telling investigators that Gerardo referenced the victims when when he came to her house on April 28, the BBC report said.

The girlfriend, who has only been identified by her first name Ari, told investigators that Jesús Gerardo said he did something to, "three gringos."

Ari testified that she then asked him to clarify what he meant and he replied, "I killed them," the BBC reported.

Ari has not been charged with the disappearance of the three men, but was named as a witness in the case, the BBC said.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.