An investigation into a suspected homicide has been launched after a woman was discovered deceased at her own bar in rural Kankakee County on Monday. This information was confirmed by the sheriff’s office and friends of the deceased to ABC7.
According to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a bar located in rural Momence, near the border of Illinois and Indiana on Illinois Route 114, shortly before midday.
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Upon arrival, authorities found 30-year-old Courtney M. Drysdale, a resident of Momence, who was declared dead at the scene.
Drysdale, according to friends, owned the establishment known as The Line. She reportedly would have been opening the bar alone at 11 a.m. Hailey Gershon, a close friend and colleague at the bar, expressed bewilderment over who could have wished harm upon Drysdale.
“She was genuinely one of the nicest people,” Gershon remarked. “I could always rely on her. She would literally do anything for someone else, setting aside her own troubles to ensure others were happy.”
Gershon shared that Drysdale is survived by her fiancé and a school-age daughter. Before becoming the owner, Drysdale had been a long-time bartender at the bar, making her a familiar face to its patrons.
Sheriff’s detectives classified her death as a homicide investigation based on evidence they gathered during their preliminary investigation. Details about that evidence were not immediately available.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information to call them at (815) 802-7150 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (815) 93-CRIME.
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