A Brooklyn handyman who admitted to murdering three senior women in their apartments has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. Kevin Gavin, 71, carried out the killings between 2015 and 2021, targeting elderly women who had hired him for repairs and errands.
Details of the Crimes
According to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Gavin killed the women in separate, horrific attacks inside the Carter G. Woodson Houses, a New York City Housing Authority complex in Brownsville. All victims lived in the same building, and Gavin gained entry as a handyman.
After his arrest on January 21, 2021, Gavin confessed to all three murders, claiming they stemmed from disputes over money he alleged the victims owed him.
Brutal Methods
The attacks were marked by extreme violence. Gavin stabbed 82-year-old Myrtle McKinney in the neck, stomped on the neck and chest of 83-year-old Jacolia James, and strangled 78-year-old Juanita Caballero with a phone cord. Following Caballero's death, he was caught on surveillance using her debit card at multiple locations.
District Attorney Gonzalez described the acts as ones of shocking depravity and cruelty, emphasizing that the victims should have been safe in their own homes. He called them beloved members of their families and community, noting that Gavin exploited their trust and took their lives with brutal violence.
Sentencing
Gavin was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Ann Riviezzo after pleading guilty on April 24 to one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. Gonzalez stated that while the sentence cannot undo the grief inflicted on the victims' loved ones, it ensures Gavin will spend the rest of his life in prison and never prey on another vulnerable neighbor again.
