Essex County Convicted Felon Charged In June’s Phillipsburg Shooting Death

Friday, September 12, 2025, 5:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ.- Yesterday, a 34-year-old Newark, New Jersey, man, wanted in connection with the June 2, 2025, early morning shooting death in the Town of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, was taken into custody and jailed after being formally charged with the alleged murder of Kevin Cervil. 

     According to Acting Warren County Prosecutor Jessica L. Cardone, following an investigation, on August 28, 2025, James R. Dawes, 34, of Newark, New Jersey, was formally charged with first-degree Murder; second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon; and second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. Dawes was additionally charged with one count of second-degree Certain Persons Not Possess Weapons.

U.S. Marshals Apprehend Dawes Yesterday

     On Thursday, September 11, 2025, Dawes was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force in Newark, New Jersey. He was transported to the Warren County Correctional Center, where he was processed on the charges and remanded to custody pending future court proceedings in Warren County Superior Court in Belvidere, New Jersey. 

     The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a motion with the court to detain Dawes pending trial, which has been tentatively scheduled to be heard next week before a Superior Court Judge.

The Arrest And Charges Stem From A June 2, 2025 Murder Investigation

     The arrest and charges stem from an investigation that began on Monday, June 2, 2025, when, just shortly before 4:30 a.m., members of the Phillipsburg Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting that someone was attempting to force their way into a residence located on the 100 Block of Summit Avenue in the Town of Phillipsburg.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers located Kevin Clervil, 34, of East Orange, New Jersey, lying on the ground outside the residence, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. At the time, Mr. Clervil was transported to Saint Luke’s Hospital Warren Campus, where he would later succumb to his injuries and be pronounced deceased. During the initial investigation, Responding Police Officers and Detectives determined that the victim, Mr. Clervil, and Dawes were known to each other.

     During further investigation, Detectives of the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office and the Phillipsburg Police Department, with assistance from the New Jersey State Police, found probable cause to believe that crimes were committed, and on August 28, 2025, murder and weapons charges were filed against Dawes. 

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”