A bar owner in rural Illinois was shot and killed in an execution-style shooting by a convicted killer just before she was set to open her business on Monday. Courtney Drysdale, 30, was going about her usual routine when she was shot and killed just after 11 a.m. by suspected gunman Julius E. Burkes Jr., according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office.
Police rushed to The Line bar on Route 114 in Momence, Illinois — near the Indiana border — where they found Drysdale’s body inside. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe Burkes, 47, walked into the bar armed with a gun and demanded money from the cash register.
Robbery Results in Murder
Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey shared the details of the deadly shooting with reporters on Tuesday, NBC Chicago reported. “Ms. Drysdale complied with the suspect’s demands. Despite her cooperation, the suspect shot her twice, execution-style, before fleeing the scene,” Downey said.
Drysdale, a mother of one, was alone inside the bar at the time of the shooting.
“Courtney was deeply loved, not only by her family and her young daughter, but also by the many patrons and friends whose 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 small state-line bar in 2022 and reopened it in June that year after giving it a new name — The Line. It typically welcomed customers from late morning until the early hours of the next day, according to the bar’s Facebook page.
Drysdale leaves behind her teenage daughter and her fiancé, Neil Trudeau. In the aftermath of the tragedy, The Line announced it would remain closed until further notice.
Investigators say Burkes tried to steal a digital recording device from the bar, but additional surveillance footage was recovered and captured the suspect.
Killed Mercilessly
Footage showed a man believed to be Burkes wearing a high-visibility jacket and carrying a clipboard. Another photo captured what authorities say is the same man driving away in a white BMW sedan. The photos were shared by the sheriff’s office early Tuesday as part of a public appeal for help, with officials offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Hours later, Burkes was arrested outside his home in Hammond, Indiana — about 52 miles north of the bar. Downey praised the coordinated work of multiple law enforcement agencies, saying their efforts led to Burkes’ peaceful arrest.
“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 is accused of breaking into the Crown Point, Indiana, home of his ex-girlfriend on December 21.
Burkes is a career criminal with prior arrests over the years that include battery and alleged stalking.
According to reports, his record dates back to his teenage years. In 1994, when he was just 15 years old, Burkes pleaded guilty to two counts of murder connected to a killing near Chicago. He was sentenced to 37 years in prison but ultimately served less than half of that time, the outlet reported.
