×
Gavel (Credit: Wesley Tingey; UnSplash)

Jacksonville Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder

By Greg Halbleib Jul 22, 2025 | 5:55 AM

A Jacksonville man has been found guilty of first-degree murder and home invasion in connection with the stabbing death of a man in Beardstown in March.

Cass County State’s Attorney Craig Miller said a jury found 45-year-old Benchy Couloute guilty on Friday after a five-day trial. The prosecutor said Couloute placed a tracking device on his ex-wife’s vehicle in Mount Sterling and followed her to a Beardstown residence.

After his ex-wife left the residence, Miller said Couloute entered the home and stabbed Junior Kalonji 12 times in the neck. Couloute remains in custody. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8.

Comments

Leave a Reply