WSIL reports a judge Monday morning vacated the first-degree murder conviction against Gaege Bethune.
A jury convicted the Eldorado man in June of first-degree murder for the death of former SIU-C student Pravin Varughese.
Prosecutors maintained Bethune and Varughese fought while driving around Carbondale looking for cocaine in February 2014, with Bethune causing head injuries that left Varughese disoriented and led to his hypothermia death. The defense argued no evidence was presented to prove that claim.
The court has ordered a new trial for Bethune.
