US EditionSuspect in Custody for Fatal Shooting of Momence Bar Owner Courtney Drysdale, Authorities Say
Julius Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested after shooting bar owner Courtney Drysdale during a robbery at The Line bar; sheriff credits surveillance and tips for the arrest.
- On Tuesday, Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested as he left his Hammond, Indiana home about 26 hours after the Monday killing in Momence.
- Around 11 a.m. Monday, Drysdale was opening The Line when the suspect demanded cash and shot her twice, execution-style, Downey said.
- The sheriff's office credited public tips and high-definition security cameras for the quick arrest after releasing images of a person and a white BMW sedan, despite the suspect's attempt to remove a recording device.
- At a Tuesday hearing, Burkes waived extradition; he remains at Lake County Jail on a Kankakee County warrant, with his next Indiana court date set for Feb. 26.
- Friends mourned outside The Line, leaving a candle and describing Courtney M. Drysdale as a pillar of the small community, while expressing relief that the arrest brought comfort amid grief.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Man arrested in fatal shooting of Illinois bar owner
The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office released this image of a man in connection with a homicide, Feb. 2, 2026, in rural Momence near the Illinois/Indiana border. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office) (KANKAKEE COUNTY, Ill.) — A man has been arrested in the death of a bar owner who was fatally shot Monday morning near the Illinois-Indiana state border. Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested Tuesday in Indiana as he was exiting his residence, accordi…
Illinois bar owner killed in ‘execution-style’ shooting, suspect with decades-long criminal record in custody
A suspect described as a "monster" was arrested following a manhunt for the killer of an Illinois bar owner who authorities say was murdered in an "execution-style" shooting Monday.Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the murder of 30-year-old Courtney M. Drysdale, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department said.Drysdale was killed just before noon Monday inside The Line, a local bar she owned in rural Mom…
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