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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 Momence near the Illinois-Indiana border, authorities said.
The 30-year-old mother was opening the bar when the suspect walked in, brandished a gun and demanded money, WGNTV reported, citing the sheriff’s office. Drysdale complied with the demands, but investigators said the suspect shot her two times “execution-style” anyway.
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Courtney M. Drysdale, 30, was opening The Line, a bar which she owned, when the shooting happened Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, authorities said. (Jensen Memorial Chapel)
Detectives recovered surveillance images from the bar that showed a suspect wearing a bright yellow jacket, a hat and glasses, and driving a white BMW.
Authorities released surveillance photos of the suspect wearing a bright yellow jacket. Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was taken into custody, pictured right, on Tuesday in connection with the murder of Drysdale. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department )
The suspect tried to remove a video recording device from the bar before he fled to Indiana, according to authorities.
Authorities said the suspect was seen leaving the area in a white BMW. (Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department )
Burkes was apprehended as he was leaving his residence in Hammond, Indiana, about 26 hours after the murder, the sheriff’s office said.
Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey thanked the public for supplying numerous tips, along with federal, state and local law enforcement officers who worked together to capture the suspect.
“We hope that in some way the apprehension of this monster will bring some sort of peace to Courtney’s family, friends and community,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities said Courtney Drydale complied with the armed suspect’s demand for money, though the suspect shot her anyway. (Facebook/Courtney Marie Drysdale)
Court records obtained by WGNTV showed that Burkes has a criminal history spanning decades, including allegedly breaking into the home of an ex-girlfriend in December. He was reportedly released on bond for that case at the time of Drysdale’s murder.
The documents showed his criminal history included a 2014 battery case to which he pleaded guilty. He was placed on 12 months of supervised release, which he completed.
In 1995, he pleaded guilty to two counts of felony murder when he was just 15 years old, the outlet reported. He was sentenced to 37 years in that case, though the outlet noted his role in the crime was unclear as records detailing the incident were not immediately available.
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Burkes is being held in Indiana where he awaits an extradition hearing back to Illinois.
