MURPHYSBORO, Illinois
In a shocking development, Jackson County Judge Mark Clarke vacated the conviction of Gaege Bethune, 23, in the murder of Pravin Varughese, a Southern Illinois University student, four years ago, the Southern Illinoisan reported.
In a hearing yesterday, Bethuneâ€™s defense filed motions to overturn the conviction and to order a new trial.

Bethune was found guilty in June of the murder. The death of Pravin, 19, was initially reported as environmental hypothermia, but the prosecution argued Bethune was responsible for Varughese's death after he ran into the woods on a cold February night in 2014 after a physical altercation with Bethune.

Prosecution alleged that a blow to the head led to Varugheseâ€™s death.
The judge has not yet entered a formal order into the record but did provide some detail on the docket sheet, the report said. He wrote that the juryâ€™s verdict of guilty has been set aside and that the court ordered a new trial. No new hearings have yet been scheduled, according to Judici.

Bethuneâ€™s new defense attorney Steven Greenberg, of Chicago, questioned the trial. â€˜Itâ€™s not a murder,â€™ Greenberg said. He said he also took issue with the jury instructions. â€˜As long as they found Gaege had touched this kid, he was guilty of murder,â€™ Greenberg said.

â€˜It was definitely a blessing,â€™ said Don Bethune, Gaegeâ€™s father. Liam Kelly, a member of Bethuneâ€™s legal team, said he was relieved for the Bethunes. â€˜The judge did the right thing,â€™ Kelly said.

Special prosecutor Dave Neal said he was â€˜baffledâ€™ by Clarke's ruling. â€˜To say we are surprised by the ruling would certainly be an understatement.â€™ Neal told The Southern that while he respects Clarke and his decision, he and his team are not likely to let this issue rest.

â€˜We are likely to appeal this ruling to determine if a higher court would (agree with this ruling),â€™ Neal said.

If it is upheld, Neal said he will be eager to start the new trial.
â€˜I would be anxious to get started with a new trial, and I would be expecting a verdict identical to the verdict we had,â€™ he said.

Don Bethune said he is hopeful for his sonâ€™s next trial.

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Judge sets aside the murder conviction of Bethune in Pravin Varughese murder case