A court has heard how one of the three Mexican nationals charged over the murder of two Australian brothers told his then girlfriend that he killed them and their American friend.
Three Mexican locals were arrested over the weekend after the bodies of Perth men Callum and Jake Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, were discovered 10 metres down a well.
It’s believed they were shot dead in a “robbery gone wrong”.
The accused ringleader of the Mexican trio, Jesus Gerardo, also known as “El Kekas”, faced court for the second time in a 45-minute hearing on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
During Gerardo’s court appearance, his girlfriend Ari Gisel GarcÃa Cota appeared for the prosecution.
Her testimony included recounting a conversation she had with Gerardo when he returned to their home from the campsite in Baja California where the Australians and Rhoad were last seen on April 27.
The court heard Gerardo told her, “I essentially messed up three gringos”.
She asked him, what do you mean by that and El Kekas told her, “I killed them”.
He then took Cota outside and showed her her car, which he had been driving. It had the tyres from the ute the victims had been driving, Cota told the court.
Cota said she then fled the home to her mother’s house a few kilometres away.
Cota was arrested later in the day and told police she was willing to cooperate with their investigation, saying she was the mother of a young girl and the victim of domestic violence.
El Kekas was charged with forced kidnapping.
He did not enter a plea and he will remain in custody until November, when his next hearing is scheduled.
Earlier this week, Jake and Callum’s parents travelled from Perth to Mexico to identify their bodies before crossing the border into the United States.
In a heartbreaking statement to the media, Debra and Martin Robinson paid tribute to their sons and their American friend.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to cover travel, accommodation and funeral costs while an investigation is under way.
