Ocean County Woman Sentenced In Wife’s Brutal Murder

Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus (Photo courtesy Ocean County Prosecutor's Office)

BRICK – A Township woman has been sentenced to 45 years in New Jersey State Prison for killing her wife in 2020, authorities said.

Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus, 49, was found guilty of Murder on September 29, 2022 after a three-week trial. The jury also found Gavilanez-Alectus guilty of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.

On May 17, 2020, Brick Police responded to a home on Creek Road for an unresponsive woman. The officers found the lifeless body of Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus in an upstairs bedroom of the home.

The Ocean County Medical Examiner performed a post-mortem examination of her body, and determined the manner of her death to be a homicide.

Authorities discovered that a cylindrical container used for chilling wine was utilized in the commission of the murder.

The injuries sustained by Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus were consistent with that item, police said. It was later determined that Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus caused the victim’s death and on May 18, 2020, a warrant for her arrest was issued.

On May 21, 2020, Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus was found by law enforcement in Houston, Texas and was subsequently arrested. She was extradited back to New Jersey, and has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since her extradition.

Gavilanez-Alectus’s sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act, meaning that Gavilanez-Alectus will be required to serve at least 85 percent of her prison sentence before she may be considered for parole eligibility.

“We hope this lengthy prison sentence affords Rebecca’s family some level of peace and closure,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated. “I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to Senior Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill and Assistant Prosecutor Kaitlyn Burke – who together tried this case on behalf of the State – for their skill and dedication in prosecuting this horrendous murder.”

The Prosecutor likewise extends his appreciation to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Brick Township Police Department, Brick Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New York City Police Department, United States Marshals Service, and City of Houston Police Department, for their combined and collective efforts investigating and solving this heinous and senseless crime – ultimately leading to Gavilanez-Alectus’ conviction and state prison sentence.