Bensalem, PA, man gets big prison sentence for fatally shooting 14-year-old in Willingboro, NJ

A 24-year-old man from Bensalem, PA, will be in his mid-50s when he is released from prison for fatally shooting a teenager in Willingboro in 2021.

Tamir Phillips Sentenced

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office says Tamir Phillips must serve his entire 30-year sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

A jury convicted Phillips in November on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

An investigation began the afternoon of August 21st, 2021 when Willingboro police officers were called to the Phillips 66 gas station on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive for a report of a shooting.

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At the scene, cops learned that the victim, 14-year-old Jesse Everett of Willingboro, had been taken in a private vehicle to Virtua Willingboro Hospital. From there, he was airlifted to Cooper Hospital in Camden where he was pronounced dead at 5:24 PM.

Authorities said Phillips, who was known to stay in Willingboro, was immediately identified as a suspect in the shooting and charges were filed against him the next day.

The investigation revealed that a day before the shooting, the owner of a 2014 Honda Civic had contacted township police to report that the vehicle had been stolen. It was determined that the owner of the Civic would frequently allow Phillips to use the car. The investigation further revealed that just prior to the shooting, Phillips was a passenger in a separate vehicle when the stolen car was spotted at the pumps of the gas station.

The driver pulled into the gas station and came to a stop behind the Civic, which was being driven by Everett. Phillips exited and went to the driver’s side of the Civic where he confronted Everett before firing a single shot into the vehicle, striking him in the head, according to officials.

Two other people inside the car with Everett were not injured.

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Phillips was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutors Matthew R. Jaxheimer and Stephen Bondi. The investigation was conducted by the Willingboro Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.