Illinois bar owner killed in 'execution-style' shooting, suspect with decades-long criminal record in custody

A fishy described arsenic a "monster" was arrested pursuing a manhunt for the slayer of an Illinois barroom proprietor who authorities accidental was murdered successful an "execution-style" shooting Monday.

Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was taken into custody connected Tuesday successful transportation with the execution of 30-year-old Courtney M. Drysdale, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department said.

Drysdale was killed conscionable earlier noon Monday wrong The Line, a section barroom she owned successful agrarian Momence adjacent the Illinois-Indiana border, authorities said.

The 30-year-old parent was opening the barroom erstwhile the fishy walked in, brandished a weapon and demanded money, WGNTV reported, citing the sheriff’s office. Drysdale complied with the demands, but investigators said the fishy changeable her 2 times "execution-style" anyway.

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Courtney M. Drysdale, 30, was opening The Line, a barroom which she owned, erstwhile the shooting happened Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, authorities said. (Jensen Memorial Chapel)

Detectives recovered surveillance images from the barroom that showed a fishy wearing a agleam yellowish jacket, a chapeau and glasses, and driving a achromatic BMW.

Authorities released surveillance photos of the fishy wearing a agleam yellowish jacket. Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was taken into custody, pictured right, connected Tuesday successful transportation with the execution of Drysdale. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department )

The fishy tried to region a video signaling instrumentality from the barroom earlier helium fled to Indiana, according to authorities.

Authorities said the fishy was seen leaving the country successful a achromatic BMW. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department )

Burkes was apprehended arsenic helium was leaving his residence successful Hammond, Indiana, astir 26 hours aft the murder, the sheriff’s bureau said.

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Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey thanked the nationalist for supplying galore tips, on with federal, authorities and section instrumentality enforcement officers who worked unneurotic to seizure the suspect.

"We anticipation that successful immoderate mode the apprehension of this monster volition bring immoderate benignant of bid to Courtney’s family, friends and community," the sheriff’s bureau said.

Authorities said Courtney Drydale complied with the equipped suspect's request for money, though the fishy changeable her anyway. (Facebook/Courtney Marie Drysdale)

Court records obtained by WGNTV showed that Burkes has a transgression past spanning decades, including allegedly breaking into the location of an ex-girlfriend successful December. He was reportedly released connected enslaved for that lawsuit astatine the clip of Drysdale’s murder.

The documents showed his transgression past included a 2014 artillery lawsuit to which helium pleaded guilty. He was placed connected 12 months of supervised release, which helium completed.

In 1995, helium pleaded blameworthy to 2 counts of felony execution erstwhile helium was conscionable 15 years old, the outlet reported. He was sentenced to 37 years successful that case, though the outlet noted his relation successful the transgression was unclear arsenic records detailing the incidental were not instantly available.

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Burkes is being held successful Indiana wherever helium awaits an extradition proceeding backmost to Illinois.