Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus of Brick Township was convicted during a jury trial of murdering Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus in May 2020, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The Thursday, Jan. 12 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.
On May 17, 2020, Brick Township Police were summoned to a residence on Creek Road for a report of an unresponsive female. Police found the lifeless body of Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus in an upstairs bedroom of the residence.
Further investigation ultimately determined that Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus did, in fact, cause the victim’s death utilizing a wine chiller, the prosecutor said.
On May 21, 2020, Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus was taken into custody by law enforcement in Houston, Texas. She was extradited back to New Jersey, and has been held in the Ocean County Jail ever since.
“We hope this lengthy prison sentence affords Rebecca’s family some level of peace and closure,” Billhimer said, calling it "a horrendous murder."
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