{"id":2564773,"date":"2026-02-05T16:37:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T21:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business-6\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T16:38:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T21:38:45","slug":"suspect-arrested-after-30-year-old-woman-is-killed-execution-style-while-opening-her-business-6","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-6\/","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-6%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=2564773&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>Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested Tuesday at his Hammond, Indiana home in connection with the execution-style murder of Courtney Drysdale, the 30-year-old owner of The Line bar in momence, Illinois. Drysdale was killed monday morning as she prepared to open the business near the Indiana border after a man demanded money from the register. Burkes waived extradition but will be held in Indiana on a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >residential-entry charge tied<\/a> to a december 21 break-in at a Crown Point home,according to authorities. Investigators say the suspect entered the bar, shot Drysdale twice, and then attempted to remove a recording device before departing. Sheriff Mike Downey called the killing devastating and horrific, and friends remember Drysdale as exceptionally kind and generous. Burkes 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 1995 felony-murder conviction as a 15-year-old, prior battery charges, a 2012 failure to register as a convicted killer, and other past offenses.  <\/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;<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 ... &#039;...&#039; While Opening Her Business\">execution style&#038;rsquo<\/a>; 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>A 47-year-old Indiana man, Julius E. Burkes Jr., was arrested at his Hammond home in connection with the \u201cexecution-style\u201d murder of Courtney Drysdale, a 30-year-old bar owner in Momence, Illinois. Drysdale was killed Monday at her bar near the Indiana border during an attempted robbery; authorities say a man entered, demanded money, and shot her twice at close range, then tried to remove a recording device before leaving. Friends describe Drysdale as incredibly kind and always there for others.<\/p>\n<p>Burkes, who waived extradition, will be held in Indiana on charges related to a separate residential-entry case from December at a former girlfriend\u2019s home. He also faces a Crown Point residential-entry charge from a December break-in. The suspect has a lengthy criminal history, including a 1995 felony-murder conviction in Cook County (at age 15) with a long sentence, a 2012 incident for failing to register as a convicted killer, a 2017 order of protection, and a 2014 battery conviction<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2564774,"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":[5175,50403,9832,3976,4300],"class_list":["post-2564773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-arrest","tag-crime-2","tag-homicide","tag-investigation","tag-shooting"],"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\/2564773","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=2564773"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2564778,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564773\/revisions\/2564778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2564774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2564773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2564773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2564773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}