A rural Illinois bar owner was gunned down in an “execution style” killing allegedly by a convicted murderer shortly before opening her business for the day on Monday.
Courtney Drysdale, 30, was fatally shot by suspected gunman Julius E. Burkes Jr. just after 11 a.m. as she was going about her normal routine, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office.
Police responded to The Line bar, located on Route 114 in Momence, Ill. at the Indiana border, where they discovered Drysdale’s lifeless body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Burkes, 47, allegedly entered the bar brandishing a firearm, demanding Drysdale hand over the money inside the cash register, Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey told reporters Tuesday, according to 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.
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