William Balfour Charged With Murder of Jennifer Hudson’s Mother, Brother and Nephew

Police have charged William Balfour, the brother-in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, with the murders of her mother, brother and nephew.

From Reuters:

“You can never always know how a jury will decide a case but I’m confident the evidence is there and I’m confident we’ll be successful,” Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis said.

Police said they had the murder weapon and physical evidence as well as testimony that would convict William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s elder sister, Julia.

The motive for the October 24 murders involved a dispute between the two, police said.

Found dead from gunshots were Hudson’s mother Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29, in the family’s South Side home. The body of Julian King, Julia’s son, was found four days later, with the gun used in the slayings found nearby.

In addition to the slayings Balfour was charged with home invasion.

Balfour’s mother Michele Balfour protested her son’s innocence to reporters, saying police relied on the word of one of his girlfriends who was facing a drug charge.

“They got a botched-up investigation,” she said, adding Balfour loved Hudson’s mother, Donerson, more than he loved her. “But I’m still his mother.”

Weis said no deals were made in exchange for witness statements implicating Balfour, who has been held on a parole violation since the slayings.

“We had citizens standing up and doing the right thing,” he said.

Hudson got her start in 2005 competing on the U.S. television show “American Idol” although she failed to reach the final. She later won the role of Effie White in the 2006 musical “Dreamgirls” and earned a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance.

Gun Found In Murder of Jennifer Hudson’s Family Members

Chicago police believe that they have linked a gun found last week in a vacant lot to the killings of Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

From ABC News:

Police found the .45 caliber gun in a vacant lot about a block from where the body of Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, was discovered Monday morning, ABC News Chicago affiliate WLS-TV reported.

Forensic testing on the gun showed it to be the same weapon used to kill all three people, police said.

Police have not named a suspect in the killings, but Chicago Police Department Superintendent Jody Weis said that identifying the weapon used in the crimes was a positive step.

Police Find Body in SUV; Believed to Be Body of Jennifer Hudson’s Nephew

Police searching for Jennifer Hudson’s missing 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, found the body of a young black boy in an SUV earlier today. An identity of the body has not yet been confirmed but sources believe that it may be King’s body. This is truly a sad story and I pray for the family who has lost loved ones.

Credit: Reuters

From the Associated Press:

Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, hasn’t been seen since Friday, when Hudson’s mother and brother were found shot to death in their home. Police issued an Amber Alert for Julian, who lived in the home, and were looking for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban.

The body was found in a white SUV on the city’s West Side Monday. It was towed away with the body still inside. Police refused to comment.

Hudson, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls,” was in Chicago during the weekend. The medical examiner’s office confirmed Hudson identified the bodies of her mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson. The deaths were ruled homicides.

Hudson, 27, offered a $100,000 reward for the safe return of her nephew, who is the son of her sister, Julia Hudson.

The Amber Alert listed William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia Hudson, as a suspect in a “double homicide investigation.” Balfour, 27, has not been charged in the slayings. He is not the boy’s father.

Police said they did not have a motive for the killings but called the case “domestic related.”

Balfour was taken into custody Friday by Chicago police for questioning in the killings. On Sunday, he was transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections “based on his active parole violation unrelated to this investigation.”

Records from the Corrections Department show Balfour is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

From Fox News:

MyFOXChicago is reporting that police located the SUV, which is believed to be the getaway vehicle driven by William Balfour, a suspect in the murders of the family members of Oscar-winning actress and singer Hudson.

While Chicago police have not yet confirmed whether the vehicle is in fact the white Chevy Suburban that police have been searching for, MyFOXChicago is reporting that the license plates match the Amber Alert issued after Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew Julian King was reported missing after the murders Friday.

Jennifer Hudson’s Mother, Brother Found Dead

Two people found murdered in a home owned by Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donnerson, are believed to be the Oscar-winning actress’ mother and brother, according to reports coming in from WMAQ in Chicago.

From the Associated Press:

At least one of two people found shot dead Friday at a South Side home was believed to be a relative of Jennifer Hudson, and police were seeking a missing child who might also be related to the singer and Oscar-winning actress. Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the deaths appeared to be the result of domestic abuse.

Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson said a family member entered the home around 3 p.m. Friday, found a woman fatally shot on the living room floor and left to notify authorities. Responding officers found a man fatally shot in the bedroom, Patterson said. There was no sign of forced entry.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for 7-year-old Julian King, and were seeking a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban missing from the area. The child was the grandson of the female victim, Patterson said, and Bond added the boy could also be a relative of Hudson.

Public listings for the address show a Jennifer Hudson and Darnell Donerson, the name of the singer’s mother. Hudson grew up in Chicago.

A publicist for Hudson at her record label said she was not aware of any incident involving Hudson’s mother. She did not immediately return subsequent messages. An e-mail sent to Hudson’s personal publicist was not immediately returned.

From ACCESS Hollywood:

Two adults were found reportedly shot to death inside the home on the south side of Chicago on Friday afternoon.

When contacted by Access Hollywood, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department confirmed “two people were found unresponsive in the home.”

Although police would not confirm the identities of the victims, police said the shooting involved one male and one female victim “believed to be related to Hudson.”

In addition, police told Access the incident “may be [a] domestic disturbance.”

WMAQ reportedly confirmed the victims’ identities through a family member.

In addition, as first reported by The Chicago Tribune, police confirmed to Access they have also issued an Amber Alert for a seven -year-old boy, named Julian King, who is believed to be Jennifer’s nephew.

Police also confirmed to Access they have declared a man named William Balfour as “a suspect in the double homicide,” which The Chicago Tribune also first reported. Balfour is considered to be “armed and dangerous,” police told Access.

Police are looking for a 1994 white Suburban, which they believe may contain Balfour and the boy. According to the Chicago Tribune, the vehicle is registered to Jason Hudson, Jennifer’s brother.

From People Magazine:

One of two gunshot victims found in a Chicago home Friday is believed to be a relative of Jennifer Hudson, and police are searching for a 7-year-old boy and a man believed to be his father.

“We are handling a double-homicide,” says Chicago police spokesman Officer John Mirabelli. “Those [two] victims sustained fatal gunshot wounds.”

He declined to comment on several media reports that one of the victims was Hudson’s mother.

The victims – a man and a woman – were found by officers in a South Side home listed in the name of Hudson’s mother. Police say the two deceased people appeared to have been involved in a shooting related to a domestic disturbance.