BROOKLYN — Kevin Gavin pleaded guilty on April 24, 2026, to the murders of three elderly women at a Brooklyn public housing complex where he lived. Gavin admitted to killing the women between 2015 and 2021 at the New York City Housing Authority's Carter G. Woodson Houses, a circa-1970 public housing complex for seniors in Brooklyn.

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 Brooklyn District Attorney's Office described him as a serial killer inside his own apartment building.

"This 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," District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "These victims were vulnerable neighbors who deserved safety and dignity, and instead had their lives stolen by someone they believed was there to help," he added.

On Nov. 8, 2015, Myrtle McKinney, 82, was stabbed in the neck with a knife in her apartment at the complex. On April 30, 2019, Jacolia James, 83, died after Gavin stomped on her neck and chest in her apartment. A relative found James face down and bruised after pushing open her apartment's unlocked door.

On Jan. 14, 2021, Juanita Caballero, 78, was strangled with a phone cord in her apartment. Caballero, known as "Lucy" for selling loose cigarettes in the building, was found by her son, who was visiting for the weekend.

Security video showed Gavin using Caballero's debit card a few days after her death. He was arrested a week after her body was found and confessed to the three murders. Gavin claimed to have been in disputes with each victim over money and said he fought with each victim prior to their death. The defendant's lawyer had no comment.

In early 2022, NYCHA announced that 127 security cameras had been installed in stairwells, on rooftops and in elevators at the two-building complex. A spokesperson for the housing authority said the complex now has 140 security cameras.