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Judge Orders Detention for Suspect in Momence Bar Killing as Prosecutors Detail Ties to Victim

Prosecutors say he planned the cross-state attack after losing his job at the bar over a theft report.

Overview

  • Julius E. Burkes Jr., 47, was ordered held pending trial on counts of first-degree murder, robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.
  • Court filings describe video showing a white BMW arriving minutes after opening, a man in a bright yellow jacket pointing a gun, directing cash be taken, then shooting Courtney Drysdale twice in the head.
  • Prosecutors say phone data showed travel from Hammond to Momence and back, a BMW linked to Burkes matched the footage, and a work-issued jacket resembled the one seen on camera.
  • Investigators report a $751 cash deposit into a girlfriend’s account on the day of the killing, and multiple public tips identified Burkes after images were released.
  • Prosecutors cited a 1995 Cook County murder conviction and a recent alleged residential break-in while arguing for detention.