JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (WICS) — A Jacksonville man, Benchy R. Couloute, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison following his conviction for first-degree murder and home invasion.
Couloute was found guilty by a jury in July 2025 after a trial that required multiple interpreters due to language needs. The jury returned guilty verdicts on July 18, 2025, after a multi-day trial featuring numerous witnesses and exhibits.
On Monday, the court denied Couloute’s motion for a new trial. He was sentenced to 40 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. This will be followed by mandatory supervised release.
Couloute was convicted for the murder of 37-year-old Junior Kalnoji of Beardstown, which occurred on March 24 in the 1200 block of State Street. Couloute was given an additional 15 years for home invasion, and these sentences will be served concurrently. He received three years of mandatory supervised release for the murder conviction and 18 months for the home invasion. These sentences will also be served at the same time.
After the murder of Kalnoji, an arrest warrant was issued for Couloute. The investigation determined he had fled to Indiana, and he was ultimately arrested by Indiana State Police on April 3 for first-degree murder.