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A rural Illinois community is in shock after a beloved bar owner was tragically killed in what authorities describe as an “execution style” murder. The incident occurred shortly before she was set to open her establishment on a Monday morning.
Courtney Drysdale, aged 30, lost her life to gunfire allegedly at the hands of Julius E. Burkes Jr., a man with a previous murder conviction. The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office reports that the fatal shooting took place just after 11 a.m. as Drysdale was engaged in her daily preparations.
Law enforcement officials were called to The Line bar, situated on Route 114 near the Indiana state line in Momence, Illinois. Upon arrival, they found Drysdale’s body; she was declared dead at the scene.
According to Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey, Burkes, 47, allegedly entered the bar with a firearm and demanded cash from the register. Despite Drysdale’s compliance, Downey stated that Burkes shot her twice before fleeing, as reported by NBC Chicago.
“Ms. Drysdale complied with the suspect’s demands. Despite her cooperation, the suspect shot her twice, execution style, before fleeing the scene,” Downey said.
The mother of one was the only person inside the bar before the shooting.
“Courtney was deeply loved, not only by her family and her young daughter, but also by the many patrons and friends who lives she touched,” Downey said. “This senseless act of violence has profoundly impacted our community and we are fully committed to bringing the person responsible to justice.”
Drysdale took over the bar on the state line in 2022, celebrating a reopening on June 24 of that year after renaming it “The Line.”
The establishment was open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. according to the bar’s Facebook page.
Drysdale is survived by her teen daughter and her fiancé Neil Trudeau. The Line announced it would be closed until further notice following the “tragic events.”
Investigators alleged Burkes tried to steal a “digital recording device” from the bar, but additional video from the establishment was recovered and captured the suspect.
Footage showed the man believed to be Burkes wearing a high-visibility jacket holding a clipboard with another snap showing the same man driving away in a white BMW sedan, according to photos shared by the sheriff’s office Tuesday morning.
Officials released the photos as part of a plea to the public, asking for tips leading to the arrest of the wanted gunman with a $5,000 reward.
Burkes was arrested outside his home in Hammond, Illinois, hours after the photos were released, and 52 miles north of the bar.
Downey applauded the multi-agency effort that led to Burkes “peaceful apprehension.”
“I want to commend the community-at-large for coming together and providing quantities of tips and information that ultimately led to this swift arrest,” Downey wrote on Facebook.
“This type of violent behavior has no place in our society, and I am extremely appreciative of the overwhelming support we received from the public, the media as well as our partners in the criminal justice system near and far.”
Burkes was held in Indiana before he waived his extradition back to Illinois, but a pending case in Lake County will delay his move after a judge order the felony residential entry case must be resolved before he is handed over for Drysdale’s murder, according to WGN-TV.
The alleged killer is accused of breaking into the Crown Point, Indiana, home of his ex-girlfriend on Dec. 21.
Burkes has multiple arrests in previous years, including for battery and alleged stalking.
In 1994, when he was 15, Burkes pleaded guilty to two counts of murder stemming from a killing on the on Chicago’s Far Side, the outlet reported.
He was sentenced to 37 years in prison but served less than half, according to the outlet.