07/21/2025
BENCHY R. COULOUTE FOUND GUILTY OF
FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND HOME INVASION
Cass County State’s Attorney Craig R. Miller announced today that on July 18, 2025, a Cass County jury found Benchy R. Coulute, age 45, of Jacksonville, Illinois, guilty of first-degree murder and home invasion.
The jury deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before reaching its verdict.
During the five-day trial, State’s Attorney Craig R. Miller presented the following evidence in court:
On March 23, 2025, the defendant was captured on surveillance video stalking his ex-wife. Later that evening, additional surveillance footage showed the defendant driving through the DOT Foods parking lot in Mount Sterling, Illinois, where both his ex-wife and the victim, Junior N. Kalonji, were employed. In the early morning hours of March 24, 2025, at approximately 12:30 a.m., the defendant was seen placing a GPS tracking device on his ex-wife’s vehicle. Just under an hour later, at 1:17 a.m., a surveillance video captured the defendant pursuing her vehicle. Cellular data analysis presented by the State further tracked the defendant’s movements during the overnight hours of March 23 and March 24. At approximately 6:48 a.m., the defendant’s ex-wife departed a residence located at 1200 State Street, Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois. Minutes later, at 6:55 a.m., a vehicle believed to be driven by the defendant was observed approaching the same location. The defendant then unlawfully entered the residence at 1200 State Street, where he fatally stabbed Junior N. Kalonji 12 times in the neck. At approximately 7:11 a.m., surveillance footage showed a vehicle believed to be driven by the defendant leaving the area. A subsequent investigation revealed the victim’s blood and the defendant’s DNA inside the vehicle.
Upon return of the verdict, Judge Timothy J. Wessel ordered that Couloute remain in custody pending sentencing. Judge Wessel set Couloute’s next court appearance for September 8, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in Cass County Circuit Court. The defendant could face between 20 and 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for Kalonji’s murder.
SA Miller said: “I hope this verdict provides some justice for Junior Kalonji’s family and community. Mr. Couloute’s premeditated murder was violent and cold-blooded. My special thanks to all the agents at the Illinois State Police Zone 4 Investigations for the many hours they dedicated to this case, which led to a successful conviction on the most serious charge of murder. I am also thankful for the officers of the Beardstown Police Department and the deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.”
