Girlfriend’s touching tribute to Australian boyfriend Callum Robinson identified in Mexico deaths
The girlfriend of one of two Perth brothers killed during a surfing trip in Mexico has shared a touching tribute, as their bodies are formally identified.
The girlfriend of one of the two brothers who was killed while on a surfing trip in northern Mexico has broken her silence with a touching tribute, as their bodies were formally identified.
Emily Howarth, from San Diego, posted an emotional collection of messages dedicated to her slain boyfriend Callum Robinson. It comes after Mexican authorities confirmed the bodies of Perth brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were identified by family members in an Ensenada morgue on Sunday local time.
Once the news broke Ms Horwath took to Instagram where she wrote a heartbreaking three-word message, “I miss you”.
“My heart is shattered into a million pieces. I don’t have the words right now,” Ms Horwath continued.
“I will love you forever.
“I’d give anything for one more koala hug,” Ms Horwath wrote in another post alongside a picture of the couple smiling and embracing.
“Praying God has wrapped you in His arms.
“The world can be a dark place, but you made it brighter, and now it’s dark again,” a friend of Ms Horwath’s posted.
“Thank you for always putting a smile on one of my best friends’ faces as well as mine any time I was with you.
“You truly were one of a kind and touched so many souls. May you rest in peace and may everyone carry your spirit going forward,” the tribute read.
The three men were reported missing after they failed to turn up at their Airbnb last week at Rosarito in Baja California state. They were last heard from on April 27.
Concerns about the trio escalated after their burnt-out truck was discovered near a remote surf spot, alongside abandoned tents and a razed campsite believed to be where the men were staying.
The news marks a tragic end to the search for the missing surfers and the hopes they would be found alive.
“The state prosecutor’s office confirms that the bodies found in the well in the area known as La Bocana, south of Ensenada, correspond to Jake and Callum (Robinson), of Australian origin, as well as the American (Jack) Carter,” a statement read.
“The victims’ relatives were able to identify them without the need for genetic tests.”
According to local officials the bodies were found with bullet wounds to their heads in a “execution-style triple homicide”.
Local authorities suggested the trio were murdered by local criminals who attempted to steal the tyres from their pick-up truck.
Mexican authorities used a pulley system to extract the bodies after they were located in a 15m-deep well near the town of San Thomas. A fourth body was also recovered from the well in relation to what is believed to be a separate crime.
Chief state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said the trio “surely resisted” the bungled robbery after their bodies were found in an “advanced state of decomposition”.
“Given their clothing and certain characteristics such as long hair and specific physical descriptions, we have high probability,” she said at the time.
Ms Ramirez described the crime as opportunistic and ruled out links to organised cartel activity in the region. Three Mexicans, two men and a woman, have been arrested and charged with a crime equivalent to kidnapping according to local authorities.
Local media identified the suspects as brothers Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota and Cristian Alejandro, and 23-year-old woman Ari Gisel Garcia Cota.
Fellow surfers in Ensenada gathered to pay tribute to the three men and protest against violence in the crime-afflicted region. Surfboards painted with messages including “Australia we are with you” captured the sadness shared by locals and tourists over the tragedy.
Additional reporting: AFP
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