Brownsville man admitted killing vulnerable neighbors inside their own apartments
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A Brooklyn handyman who preyed on elderly women living in his NYCHA building and admitted murdering three neighbors inside their apartments was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years to life in prison in a case prosecutors described as a years-long reign of terror in Brownsville.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced that 71-year-old Kevin Gavin of Brownsville was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Dineen Ann Riviezzo after pleading guilty last month to one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder.
Prosecutors said Gavin targeted elderly women living inside the Carter G. Woodson Houses on Powell Street, where he also lived, between 2015 and 2021. Investigators said he gained access to the victims’ homes by building trust with neighbors and offering handyman services and help with errands.
According to the investigation, Gavin fatally stabbed 82-year-old Myrtle McKinney in the neck inside her apartment on or about Nov. 8, 2015.
Authorities said he later killed 83-year-old Jacolia James on or about April 30, 2019, by stomping on her neck and chest inside her apartment.
On Jan. 14, 2021, prosecutors said Gavin strangled 78-year-old Juanita Caballero with a phone cord while robbing her apartment. Investigators later captured him on surveillance footage using Caballero’s debit card at multiple locations after her death.
Police arrested Gavin on Jan. 21, 2021. Following his arrest, investigators said he confessed to all three killings and claimed the attacks stemmed from disputes over money he believed the victims owed him.
Detectives linked Gavin to the earlier murders through similarities involving the victims’ ages, living conditions, and the fact all three women lived inside the same NYCHA development where Gavin resided.
District Attorney Gonzalez said the victims should have been safe inside their homes and called the killings acts of shocking cruelty against vulnerable residents.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Cassandra Pond, deputy chief of the Green Zone Bureau, under the supervision of Homicide Bureau Chief Leila Rosini.
Key Points
- Kevin Gavin was sentenced to 30 years to life for murdering three elderly women
- Prosecutors said the victims were killed inside NYCHA apartments in Brownsville
- Investigators said the defendant gained the victims’ trust through handyman work and errands
