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Families of 3 murdered elderly women seek justice more than 4 years after brutal killings

The victims, Myrtle McKinney, 82, Jacolia James, 83, and Juanita Caballero, 78, were all residents of the Carter G. Woodson Houses in Brownsville.

Shakti Denis

May 22, 2025, 10:46 PM

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The families of three elderly women murdered in Brownsville have spent years seeking justice, and Thursday marked the final day of arguments in the pretrial hearings for the man accused of their deaths.

The victims, Myrtle McKinney, 82, Jacolia James, 83, and Juanita Caballero, 78, were all residents of the Carter G. Woodson Houses in Brownsville.

McKinney was killed in 2015, James in 2019, and Caballero in January 2021.

The man accused of killing them is Kevin Gavin, then 66, who faces murder charges in connection with the deaths.

Gavin, who appeared in court on Wednesday wearing a surgical mask and a brace on his arm, is accused of targeting the women after doing handyman work for them.

The families are left waiting for the next steps in the case, which will either include a trial or a plea deal later this year.

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