Kankakee County: Charges filed against defendant Julius Burkes Jr.

The man accused of the shooting death of a tavern owner in rural Momence is now officially charged. In Kankakee Circuit Court, 47-year-old Julius Burkes Jr. of Hammond, IN was formally charged with the murder of Courtney Drysdale at the Line Bar along Route 114 in Momence. Ms. Drysdale was shot “execution style” as she was opening the business Februarey 2,  according to police investigators.

Burkes was charged Tuesday with 3-counts of Murder, armed robbery, and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Prosecutors say they’ll seek a penalty of Life in Prison – without parole, if he’s found guilty.

Burkes was jailed in Indiana, where he faces charges on another burglary case. He has since been returned to Kankakee County to Illinois to answer to the charges in the Momence case.

94.1 WGFA