The Hammond, Indiana, man accused of shooting a rural Momence bar owner execution-style in the head once worked with her at the bar, a prosecutor said.

On Wednesday, Julius E. Burkes Jr. made his first appearance in Kankakee County court before Associate Judge Andrew Purcell in the killing of Courtney M. Drysdale.

At the conclusion of the 20-minute detention hearing, Purcell granted prosecutors’ petition to detain Burkes, who sat quietly during the hearing, which was held via closed-circuit TV.

Burkes was represented during the hearing by Kankakee County Chief Public Defender Ed Pentuic.

Burkes has been charged by the Kankakee County State’s Attorney Office with three counts of first-degree murder; armed robbery, a Class X felony; and felon in possession of a firearm, a Class 2 felony.

If convicted of first-degree murder, the sentencing range is 20 to 60 years.

However, Purcell granted the prosecution’s petition to upgrade the possible sentence to life in prison if Burkes is convicted.

Burkes was taken into custody Feb. 3 at his residence in Hammond, Indiana.

The 47-year-old Burkes worked from 2017-19, when the bar was operated by another owner under a different name, First Assistant State’s Attorney Carol Costello said.

Since 2022, 30-year-old Drysdale has owned the establishment known as The Line Bar.

It is located on the Illinois/Indiana state line about 9 miles east of Momence on Illinois Route 114.

Costello said the owner at the time told investigators that in 2019 he terminated Burkes’ employment.

“The defendant’s employment was terminated when Courtney reported to the then-owner that the defendant was taking money from the bar,” Costello said.

Using license plate readers in Indiana and phone records of Burkes’ phone via a warrant to his provider, investigators pieced together a timeline of him driving a white BMW to and from the bar Feb. 2.

Costello said Burkes’ ex-girlfriend told investigators she sold the vehicle to him. His current girlfriend identified the vehicle as his.

The current girlfriend also identified Burkes as the man in a photo from surveillance footage entering the bar.

According to Costello, Drysdale opened the bar at 11 a.m., seven minutes later Burkes entered the bar.

“Upon entering the bar, the defendant raises the firearm and points it at Courtney,” Costello said.

“The defendant then orders Courtney around the interior of the bar for several minutes, removing items from the cash register and office area. The defendant appears to order Courtney to sit on the floor behind the bar.”

Costello continued talking about the footage.

“At 11.13 a.m., the defendant then shoots Courtney one time in her head, execution style, and you see her body collapse to the floor,” Costello said.

“The defendant then begins to walk away, but 15 seconds later, walks back towards her, reaches over the bar, and again, execution style, shoots her a second time in her head.

“The defendant then leaves the bar, walks back to his vehicle, enters the white BMW, and leaves the scene.”

Costello said investigators located a bank receipt for $751 deposited in a bank account at a bank in Hammond, Indiana, approximately an hour after the shooting.

Burkes has a prior murder conviction in Illinois.

Although he was 15 at the time the murder took place in April 1994 in Cook County, Burkes was tried as an adult.

He pleaded guilty in 1995 and received a 37-year prison sentence, according to records.

Rowe said back then, under state guidelines, a person convicted of murder served 50% of the sentence.

Burkes was currently out on bail for a Lake County, Indiana, arrest charged with residential entry in January. According to Lake County, Indiana, court records, Burkes’ next court date is Feb. 26.