Surfers in Mexico were shot in the head and discovered dead

Surfers in Mexico were shot in the head and discovered dead

Callum (left) and Jake Robinson, together with their American buddy Jack Carter Rhoad, vanished in Mexico.

Authorities report that three vacationers whose corpses were discovered in a northwest Mexican well all suffered head wounds from gunshots.

While on a surfing vacation in Ensenada on April 27, Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, ages 30 and 33, as well as their American companion Jack Carter Rhoad, age 30, vanished.

The state prosecutor said that when their families traveled to Mexico to support police, the three remains that were discovered on Friday have now been identified as the trio.

Authorities surmise that the guys were assaulted while attempting to repel an attempted pickup vehicle theft.

State prosecutor Maria Andrade of Baja California said that the perpetrators shot the visitors when they protested, wanting the car for its tires.

Nearby, abandoned tents, a burned-out white pickup vehicle, and a phone connected to the vacationers who vanished were discovered.

If their parents could identify the three males by sight, Ms. Andrade said at a news conference on Sunday that there was a "high probability" the remains were in fact those of the three men and that further forensic and DNA testing would not be necessary.

They were discovered on Friday near the town of Santo Tomás, around 6 km (4 miles) from the scene of the assault, in a 4 m (15 ft) deep hole.

Officials said that a fourth corpse, which had been in the well longer, had nothing to do with the case.

Due to suspicions of direct or indirect participation in the assault, three persons have been placed under arrest.

The FBI had already announced that it was investigating the matter and communicating with foreign partners.

One of the most dangerous states in Mexico is Baja California, where drug gangs from the area engage in turf conflicts.

However, the Ensenada region, which is recognized for its surfing conditions and is located around 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of the US-Mexico border, is thought to be safer and has long drawn visitors from California.