The Indiana man accused in the murder of 30-year-old Courtney Drysdale in rural Momence last week appeared in Kankakee County Court for the first time today.
47-year-old Julius E. Burkes Junior appeared via Zoom from the Jerome Combs Detention Center in front of Judge Andrew Purcell. Judge Purcell ruled to detain Burkes and considered him to be a threat to the community. Burkes faces 3 counts of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Kankakee County Assistant State’s Attorney Carol Costello said Burkes worked at The Line Bar in Momence with Drysdale before she was the owner from 2017 to 2019. Drysdale had allegedly caught Burkes stealing money from the bar during that time and reported it to the owners, which led to Burkes getting fired.
Burkes allegedly stole around $750 in cash and shot Drysdale twice in the head execution-style before fleeing The Line Bar in Momence last Monday.
Public Defender Ed Pentuic says Burkes admitted to working at the bar but denies being the man caught on surveillance video the day of the murder. Burkes claims he dropped his son off at school that morning in Indiana and went home to watch a movie.
Assistant State’s Attorney Costello says Burkes was convicted of murder in 1995 in Illinois as a juvenile and was sentenced to 37 years in prison. He served about half of that sentence.
The State’s Attorney’s Office said today they are seeking a life sentence for the murder of Drysdale. Burkes’s next court date is set for March 9th.
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