Family and Officials Hold Vigil for Army Veteran Brenda Gillett
“My children and I miss you more than words can say. We miss your smile, your laughter, your voice, and the love you shared so freely,” Wendy Bonifacio said during a vigil at Veterans Park, five months after her sister Brenda Gillett was killed in a landlord-tenant dispute.
People gathered at Veterans Park to remember the 56-year-old veteran. Gillett served twenty years in the United States Army, completing a tour in Iraq, before her life ended in May at her mother’s Chula Vista home.
Tenant Confesses to Killing Gillett During Housing Dispute
Investigators discovered the tragedy after responding to a welfare check on May 24, when they located Gillett’s abandoned car but could not find her. The search escalated into a homicide investigation after 41-year-old Robert Watkins, a tenant living at the Via Carvada property owned by Gillett’s mother, confessed to killing her. A local dog walker eventually located Gillett’s body at nearby Paseo del Rey Park.
Family members explained that Gillett had simply gone to the residence to address a housing issue with the tenant. “We want justice for my sister, she didn’t deserve to die the way she did, just to go handle an issue with a tenant and be completely killed, especially a person who’s a veteran, who served two years in Iraq at 9-1-1 and to be taken out so easily at my mom’s house it’s just not acceptable,” Bonifacio said.
Community Grief at Veterans Park
Scores of mourners filled Veterans Park to honor Gillett, remembering her as a dedicated daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and service member. Chula Vista Mayor John McCann addressed the crowd, offering condolences and municipal support to the grieving family.
Maricris Drouaillet, sister of missing Chula Vista mother Maya Millete, took the podium to share her solidarity. “I know what it feels like to miss your sister,” Drouaillet said. “I know what it feels like and I wish I could have one more conversation, one more hug, or just one more ordinary day with her.”
Readiness Hearing Scheduled Before Birthday
In August, the family laid Gillett to rest at Miramar National Cemetery, fulfilling her final wishes with full military honors, including a flag presentation and a presidential award.
A readiness hearing is scheduled for Monday, October 26. The court date falls precisely one day before what would have been Gillett’s 57th birthday.