{"id":35478,"date":"2026-04-25T01:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T01:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/?p=35478"},"modified":"2026-04-25T01:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T01:02:12","slug":"serial-killer-pleads-guilty-to-deaths-of-3-women-in-brooklyn-senior-housing-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/?p=35478","title":{"rendered":"Serial killer pleads guilty to deaths of 3 women in Brooklyn senior housing complex"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-ea8d2d\" class=\"body-graf\">A 71-year-old described by prosecutors as a handyman pleaded guilty Friday to the murders of three women at the same apartment complex who had hired him for help, authorities said.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free    <\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2aeea4\" class=\"body-graf\">Kevin Gavin admitted to killing the three women between 2015 and 2021, the Brooklyn District Attorney\u2019s Office said in a statement, which described Gavin as a \u201cserial killer inside his own apartment building.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2754c5\" class=\"body-graf\">Gavin pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in exchange for a sentence of 30 years to life in prison, the office said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooklynda.org\/2026\/04\/24\/brooklyn-man-who-preyed-on-elderly-neighbors-as-serial-killer-pleads-guilty-to-three-murders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in a statement.<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-cbc91b\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cThis defendant exploited elderly women who trusted him, gained access to their homes, and murdered them in a series of brutal attacks that shocked the conscience,\u201d District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in the statement. \u201cThese victims were vulnerable neighbors who deserved safety and dignity, and instead had their lives stolen by someone they believed was there to help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-986ac7\" class=\"body-graf\">The defendant\u2019s lawyer had no comment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-82a5e0\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"972\" data-original-width=\"1458\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260424-woodson-houses-vsb-1836-61e4fc.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260424-woodson-houses-vsb-1836-61e4fc.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260424-woodson-houses-vsb-1836-61e4fc.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260424-woodson-houses-vsb-1836-61e4fc.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-04\/260424-woodson-houses-vsb-1836-61e4fc.jpg\" alt=\"Woodson Houses in Brooklyn, New York.\" height=\"972\" width=\"1458\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Woodson Houses in Brooklyn, New York.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Google Maps<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-b5fc13\" class=\"body-graf\">Gavin lived at the New York City Housing Authority\u2019s Carter G. Woodson Houses, a circa-1970 public housing complex for seniors in Brooklyn, where Myrtle McKinney, 82, Jacolia James, 83, and Juanita Caballero, 78, were killed in their apartments.  <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-53b270\" class=\"body-graf\">McKinney was stabbed in the neck with a knife on Nov. 8, 2015, the DA\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d4de8b\" class=\"body-graf\">She had moved into the building more than 10 years prior as a retired housekeeper from Jamaica who had worked in Florida and the Bahamas, <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2021\/10\/nycha-nypd-woodson-houses-nyc-murders.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Magazine reported in an article about the killings.<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-49094e\" class=\"body-graf\">James died after Gavin stomped on her neck and chest on April 30, 2019, the DA\u2019s office said. It had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brooklynda.org\/2021\/03\/02\/brownsville-handyman-indicted-for-killings-of-three-elderly-women-who-lived-in-his-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previously said <\/a>she was strangled.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9d827a\" class=\"body-graf\">A relative found James face down and bruised after pushing open her apartment\u2019s unlocked door, the magazine reported.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-3182a2\" class=\"body-graf\">Relatives described her as vigilant and wary of strangers, according to the publication, which reported she had lived in the complex for decades.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-69789f\" class=\"body-graf\">Caballero was strangled with a phone cord in her apartment on Jan. 14, 2021, the DA\u2019s office. It has said the murder happened during a robbery.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7a4d51\" class=\"body-graf\">Caballero, who was known as \u201cLucy\u201d for her side hustle of selling loose cigarettes in the building, was found by her son, who was visiting for the weekend, New York Magazine reported.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-98f19b\" class=\"body-graf\">The DA\u2019s office said security video showed Gavin using her debit card a few days later. He was arrested a week after Caballero\u2019s body was found, authorities said, and confessed to the three murders.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6023ad\" class=\"body-graf\">Gavin claimed to have been in disputes with each victim over money and that he \u201cfought with each victim prior to their death,\u201d the DA\u2019s office previously said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-e2912b\" class=\"body-graf\">The killings inspired community concerns about security at the multistory complex in the Brownsville neighborhood, including what some said was a need for more security cameras. In early 2022, the <a href=\"https:\/\/nychanow.nyc\/nychas-capital-projects-roundup-january\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">housing authority announced<\/a> that 127 security cameras had been installed in stairwells, on rooftops and in elevators at the two-building complex.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6f7d48\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cWoodson Houses is now fully equipped with a new network of security cameras to help improve safety for residents,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-0a3df0\" class=\"body-graf\">On Friday, a spokesperson for the housing authority, also known as NYCHA, said the complex now has 140 security cameras.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b66d6e\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cNYCHA is grateful to law enforcement for bringing this case to conclusion,&#8221; the spokesperson said by email.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-541dd9\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">Gavin\u2019s sentencing is scheduled for May 30.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/serial-killer-pleads-guilty-deaths-3-women-brooklyn-senior-housing-com-rcna341963\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 71-year-old described by prosecutors as a handyman pleaded guilty Friday to the murders of three women at the same apartment complex who had hired him for help, authorities said. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Kevin Gavin admitted to killing the three women between 2015 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35479,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-conditions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35480,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35478\/revisions\/35480"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pickbydoc.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}