Special prosecutor: Unsolicited contact made with juror in Pravin Varughese case

MURPHYSBORO, IL (KFVS) - An Eldorado, Illinois man convicted of murder in the death of SIU student  Pravin Varughese spends his 24th birthday in jail. On July 26,

Gaege Bethune heads back to court in hopes of having his guilty verdict for killing an SIU student overturned.

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This case continues to get a lot of media attention appearing just this week on the show Dateline. But Friday, nearly two months after a guilty verdict, it heads back to court.

Shortly after the verdict attorneys for Gaege Bethune filed a motion to have the guilty verdict thrown out.

That's what the judge is expected to decide. Should the judge deny the motion, Bethune will be sentenced on August 15. But If the judge grants the defense's motion, then Bethune is acquitted and gets to go home according to Defense Attorney Michael Wespiec.

Special Prosecutor David Robinson says the most recent documents filed alleged a juror having inappropriate communication with the defense team.

Robinson says law enforcement and his prosecutor's office has been contacted by a juror on more than one occasion.

According to that motion: "The unsolicited contact with this juror has been made on three separate occasions -- in person, on Facebook messenger, and through an article in the local paper."

Robinson wants the lawyers to go through the clerk of the court to contact jurors.

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