Ocean County, NJ, Woman Gets 45 Years in Prison For Murdering Her Wife

A woman from Ocean County has been sentenced to 45 years in state prison for killing her wife in 2020.

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Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer says 49-year-old Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus of Brick Township was sentenced on Thursday in connection with the murder of Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus, which occurred sometime between May 16th and 17th, 2020, in Brick.

Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus was found guilty of murder and related weapon charges this past September following a nearly three-week jury trial.

Timeline

On May 17, 2020, Brick Township Police were called to a home on Creek Road for a report of an unresponsive female. There, officers found the lifeless body of Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus in an upstairs bedroom.

The next day, the Ocean County Medical Examiner determined the manner of her death to be a homicide.

An investigation revealed that both the victim and the defendant lived at the home and a "cylindrical container used for the purpose of chilling wine" was utilized in the commission of the murder.

Further investigation ultimately determined that Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus did, in fact, cause the victim’s death utilizing the wine chiller. On May 18, 2020, a warrant for the arrest of Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus was issued.

On May 21st of that year, Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus was taken into custody by law enforcement in Houston, TX.

No early release

This sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act; Gavilanez-Alectus will be required to serve at least 85 percent of her prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Some level of closure

"We hope this lengthy prison sentence affords Rebecca’s family some level of peace and closure," Billhimer said in a statement.