The Last Outpost of Common Sense

February 2 started off like any other day. Courtney Drysdale, 30, had a normal morning at home and then left to open up her bar- The Line bar along Route 114 in Momence, Illinois. She had taken ownership of the establishment in 2022 after working there for years as a bartender.

She had no idea that soon after getting there, her life would be ended. Her fiance would never get to marry her, and a little girl would lose her mom.

At around 11:00am, a man walked into the bar, pointed his gun at her, and demanded money from the registers. Despite giving it to him, he shot her execution style and then took off.

“Ms. Drysdale complied with the suspect’s demands. Despite her cooperation, the suspect shot her twice, execution-style,” Sheriff Mike Downey said.

Surveillance footage recovered from the bar that day showed a suspect wearing a high-visibility jacket and holding a clipboard. Additional images showed a man fleeing in a white BMW sedan. The suspect attempted to remove a digital recording device, but video evidence was still obtained.

Authorities released the images and offered a $5,000 reward, prompting a wave of public tips. Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was arrested hours later outside his home in Hammond, Indiana, about 52 miles from the bar.

Downey praised the multi-agency response and public assistance that led to the suspect’s arrest.

According to reports, Burkes has a lengthy criminal history, including arrests for battery and stalking. As a juvenile, he pleaded guilty to two counts of murder in 1994 and was sentenced to 37 years in prison, serving less than half the term.

On April 8, a federal grand jury in the Central District of Illinois has since indicted Burkes on charges of obstruction of commerce by robbery, murder, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He was taken into custody on February 3 in Hammond, Indiana, and has remained behind bars since his arrest, with local and federal authorities working jointly on the case.

If convicted, Burkes faces up to 20 years in prison on the robbery charge and up to 15 years for the firearm offense, along with significant fines and supervised release. The murder charge carries the most severe penalties, including the possibility of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

This is yet another system fail. These criminals need to stay locked up and not get any more chances!!!

BOTTOM LINE = Anyone else seeing a pattern here?