{"id":2564746,"date":"2026-02-05T16:06:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T21:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business-4\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T16:07:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T21:07:56","slug":"suspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Suspect Arrested After 30-Year-Old Woman Is Killed &#8216;Execution Style&#8217; While Opening Her Business"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsuspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business-4%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2564746&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>indiana man Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested Tuesday at his Hammond, Indiana home in connection with the execution-style murder of Courtney Drysdale, 30, the owner of The Line bar in Momence, illinois. Drysdale was killed Monday as she opened the bar near the indiana state line; authorities say the suspect entered, demanded money from the register, and shot her twice before leaving, and he attempted to remove a recording device.<\/p>\n<p>Burkes waived extradition but will be held in Indiana on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business\/\" title=\"Suspect Arrested After 30-Year-Old Woman Is Killed &#039;...&#039; While Opening Her Business\">residential-entry charge tied<\/a> to a Dec. 21 break-in at his former girlfriend\u2019s Crown Point home. He also has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nypd-times-square-shooting-suspect-has-lengthy-criminal-history\/\" title=\"NYPD: Times Square shooting suspect has lengthy criminal history\">lengthy criminal history<\/a>, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >1995 juvenile felony-murder conviction<\/a> (sentenced to 37 years but served less than half), a 2014 battery conviction, a 2012 failure to register as a convicted killer, and a 2017 order of protection, among other prior charges. At the time of the killing, he was free on bond for another charge.<\/p>\n<p>Sheriff Mike Downey called the murder devastating and horrific and noted that Drysdale was deeply loved by her family, friends, and bar patrons. Drysdale left behind a young daughter, and the inquiry is ongoing, with coverage cited from multiple local outlets.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>An Indiana man has been arrested in what police called the &ldquo;execution style&rdquo; murder of an Illinois bar owner.<\/p>\n<p>Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested Tuesday at his Hammond, Indiana, home, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7chicago.com\/post\/man-arrested-execution-style-killing-momence-bar-owner-courtney-drysdale-waives-extradition\/18541251\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WLS-TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Courtney Drysdale, 30, was killed Monday at a bar she owned in Momence, Illinois.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy\">&ldquo;It feels like a really big relief, if I&rsquo;m being honest, that someone is in custody to do justice for Courtney, because he took a beautiful soul,&rdquo; friend Hailey Gershon told the TV station.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy\">&ldquo;I mean it: She was probably the nicest person. I could always go to her for anything,&rdquo; Gershon said.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy\">&ldquo;She would literally give up the whole world for somebody and would always be there for everybody, even though if she was upset or going through things. She would push those aside for others and, like, make sure they were happy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Although Burkes waived extradition, a judge ruled he will be held in Indiana due to charges against him in connection with an illegal entry that took place at his former girlfriend&rsquo;s Indiana home.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#128680;BREAKING: 30-year-old bar owner k*lled &ldquo;execution-style&rdquo; during a robbery; police release pictures of person of interest<\/p>\n<p>Kankakee, IL, County Sheriff Mike Downey said the suspect entered the bar while Courtney M. Drysdale was opening it<\/p>\n<p>He then pulled out a gun and demanded&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gjt5PYi8IK\">pic.twitter.com\/gjt5PYi8IK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Unlimited L&rsquo;s (@unlimited_ls) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/unlimited_ls\/status\/2018794660303360342?\">February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey called Drysdale&rsquo;s murder &ldquo;devastating and horrific,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcchicago.com\/news\/local\/momence-bar-owner-killed-execution-style-sheriff-says-suspect-considered-armed-and-dangerous\/3885643\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WMAO-TV<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Downey said during a Tuesday news conference Tuesday. &ldquo;This senseless act of violence has profoundly impacted our community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>She was killed at about 11 a.m. Monday, when she was &ldquo;going about her normal routine,&rdquo; Downey said. As Drysdale prepared to open her bar, called The Line, near the Indiana state line, a man approached and demanded money from the register.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Illinois mom gunned down &lsquo;execution style&rsquo; by alleged killer as she was opening up her bar <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aiPTFtNHiS\">https:\/\/t.co\/aiPTFtNHiS<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qVskkwNVtx\">pic.twitter.com\/qVskkwNVtx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nypost\/status\/2019351410756694391?\">February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Drysdale complied, but the suspect shot her twice, &ldquo;execution style,&rdquo; Downey said.<\/p>\n<p>Downey said that before the suspect left the scene of the killing, he tried to remove a recording device.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/wgntv.com\/northwest-indiana\/suspect-in-momence-murder-has-criminal-history-spanning-decades-court-records-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WGN-TV<\/a>, Burkes was free on bond in connection with another charge when Drysdale was killed.<\/p>\n<p>Burkes faces a charge of residential entry, a level 6 felony, in connection with the Dec. 21 break-in at a Crown Point, Indiana, home. Police were summoned after a former girlfriend reported Burkes was knocking on her windows and doors.<\/p>\n<p>He was later found inside the home and arrested.<\/p>\n<p>Burkes had been charged with battery in 2014 in Kankakee County. His sentence was 12 months of supervised release.<\/p>\n<p>An order of protection was taken out against Burkes for several months in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Cook County court records indicate that 1995, Burkes pleaded guilty to two counts of felony-murder. At that time, he was sentenced to 37 years in jail; he would serve less than half of that. He was 15 at the time of the 1994 crime.<\/p>\n<p>In 2012, he was taken into custody in Cicero, Illinois, after not registering for the Illinois registry of convicted killers.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Indiana man, 47-year-old Julius E. Burkes Jr., was arrested at his Hammond home on Tuesday in connection with what authorities describe as an execution-style killing of Courtney Drysdale, a 30-year-old who owned a bar in Momence, Illinois. Drysdale was killed Monday at The Line, her bar near the Indiana border. A friend described her as incredibly kind and someone people could always rely on. Prosecutors say Burkes entered the bar, demanded money from the register, and shot Drysdale twice in an execution-style killing; he is also accused of trying to remove a recording device before fleeing. Although Burkes had waived extradition, a judge ordered him held in Indiana on an unrelated residential-entry charge stemming from a December break-in at a Crown Point home. He has a lengthy prior criminal history, including a 2014 battery conviction in Kankakee County; as a juvenile in 1995 he pleaded guilty to two counts of felony murder in Cook County and received a 37-year sentence (he served less than half); there was a 2017 order of protection against him; and in 2012 he was arrested in Cicero for failing to register as a convicted killer. The Kankakee County sheriff said the killing was devastating and horrific, noting Drysdale was beloved by her family and many patrons. Investigators continue to pursue more information as the case develops<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2564747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Burkes-vs-Courtney-Drysdale.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5175,50403,9832,72966,4349],"class_list":["post-2564746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-arrest","tag-crime-2","tag-homicide","tag-local-news-2","tag-murder"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Burkes-vs-Courtney-Drysdale.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2564746"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2564750,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564746\/revisions\/2564750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2564747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2564746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2564746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2564746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}