A Brooklyn handyman who admitted to killing three elderly women in their apartments has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. Kevin Gavin, 71, committed the murders between 2015 and 2021 at the Woodson Houses in Brownsville, a New York City Housing Authority complex.
Brutal attacks on vulnerable victims
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the sentence on May 22, 2026. Gavin pleaded guilty on April 24 to one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. The victims were Myrtle McKinney, 82; Jacolia James, 83; and Juanita Caballero, 78.
According to prosecutors, Gavin gained access to the women's apartments by offering handyman services. He then killed them in separate attacks. McKinney was stabbed in the neck; James was stomped on the neck and chest; and Caballero was strangled with a phone cord. After Caballero's death, Gavin was caught on surveillance video using her debit card.
Gonzalez described the crimes as 'acts of shocking depravity and cruelty' and said Gavin exploited the trust of the victims, who were beloved members of their community. Gavin confessed after his arrest on January 21, 2021, stating that the murders stemmed from disputes over money he claimed the victims owed him.
Life sentence without parole
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Ann Riviezzo imposed the sentence. Gonzalez noted that while the sentence cannot undo the grief, it ensures Gavin will spend the rest of his life in prison and cannot prey on other vulnerable neighbors. All victims lived in the same building as the perpetrator.
