Showing posts with label Jennifer Hudson American Idol Oscar winner Dream Girl Girls black singer Chicago nephew missing murders mother brother dead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jennifer Hudson American Idol Oscar winner Dream Girl Girls black singer Chicago nephew missing murders mother brother dead. Show all posts
Police charged the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson with the murders of her mother, brother and nephew, expressing confidence on Tuesday the evidence was sufficient to convict.
"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.
Members of Jennifer Hudson's family have identified a body found in an SUV Monday morning as that of the singer's nephew.
The body of Julian King was found on the floor of his uncle's SUV, which was wanted in connection to the disappearance of the 7-year-old. King had been missing since Friday.
Police would not say how or where the boy died, but unconfirmed reports say King was shot.
Three family members, including Jennifer Hudson; Julian's mother, Julia Hudson; and another man, went to identify the body. Jennifer Hudson made the official identification.
They arranged to view Julian's body via a live video feed. Upon seeing his face, Jennifer Hudson reportedly made the official identification. A Cook County spokesperson commented on the moment
"Remarkably, Jennifer Hudson was very strong for her family, and it was very apparent that she was the leader within that group, that kept the composure," said Sean Howard, Cook County spokesman. "It was a very touching, emotional moment but yet and still Ms. Hudson remained strong, and she encouraged her family members to remain strong."
An Amber Alert was issued for King after the Oscar-Award winning actress' mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, and brother, 29-year-old Jason Hudson, were found shot to death Friday on the city's South Side. That Amber Alert included a description of Jason Hudson's SUV, which was found in the 1300-block of South Kolin Avenue Monday just after 7 a.m. It was towed away around 9 a.m.
"Responding officers observed a white, Chevy Suburban with license plate number X584859 and confirmed that this was the vehicle that was the subject of the Amber Alert and the wanted vehicle. Further investigation revealed that a body was inside. But can't identify the body pending the medical examiner's examination. The vehicle has been towed for further processing, and the investigation is ongoing," said Gulliford.
Investigators closed off the area where the vehicle was found. It is not clear how long the vehicle was parked on the street. Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said it had likely been several days. Early Monday morning, police sources say that they searched a home in the 1900-block of South Spaulding, which is about six or seven blocks from where William Balfour, 27, a person of interest in the murders, was arrested. He has not been charged but he is in police custody on a parole violation.
Oscar winner Dream Girl and American Idol finalist Jennifer Hudson lost her mom and brother, both found murdered in the Hudson Chicago home on the southside.
An Amber alert has been issued for Jennifer's missing nephew who is 7-years-old.
And the other side Julian King, the 7-year-old nephew of Jennifer Hudson, died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death has been ruled a homicide, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Tuesday.
"We're not releasing anything else," said ME spokesman Sean Howard. "We possibly have a criminal out there and we have to maintain discretion."
King, the son of Hudson's sister, Julia, was found dead in the back seat of a white SUV vehicle on Chicago's South Side Monday. Three days earlier, the singer's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found fatally shot in their home.
King had been missing since the killings and police had sent out an Amber Alert for the boy.
William Balfour, 27, who is King's stepfather and Julia's estranged husband, remains in custody on a parole violation. Police called him a "person of interest" in the slayings of Donerson and Hudson, but he has not been charged with any crimes.
When asked if Balfour is a person of interest in King's death as well as in the slaying of his grandmother and uncle, Monique Bond, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department, told PEOPLE: "It's all one investigation."
Bond added: "Our investigation continues. He is still considered a person of interest in the investigation."
The FBI have been called in to hunt for the seven-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, a day after her mother and brother were found with multiple gunshot wounds at her Chicago home.
Hudson was said to be ‘numb’ last night after identifying their bodies at the mortuary.
The 27-year-old Dreamgirls star rushed from Los Angeles to her home town of Chicago when she heard of the double tragedy in the city’s notorious South Side.
Devastation: Jennifer and her mother Darnell, pictured at the 2007 Oscars, who has been shot dead at her Chicago home
Hudson's estranged brother-in-law William Balfour is currently being questioned by police as a suspect, but he has not been charged.
He was at first thought to have kidnapped his stepson Julian King, but the seven-year-old was not with him when he was found. Hudson is extremely close to Julian, who has the family nickname of Tugga Bear.
Detectives said the double murder was a 'domestic incident' that had got horribly out of control.
Tragic: Hudson's brother Jason (left) was found dead in his bedroom, while her nephew Julian King (right) is missing.
William Balfour is being questioned by police but has not been charged.
Neighbours reported hearing gunshots at 9am on Fridaybut ignored them because violent crime is so common in the area – which the singer had tried to persuade her mother to leave.
Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson said Hudson's cousin entered the home around 3pm and after finding Darnell on the living room floor left to fetch help.
Officers then found Hudson's mechanic brother Jason, 29, dead in the bedroom, Patterson said. There was no sign of forced entry.
Missing: A picture from Hudson's MySpace page shows her cuddling her nephew Julian and her pet dog Mr Payton
Darnell, 57, was shot in the head while Jason was shot in the chest. At least one of the victims had 'defensive wounds' police said, indicating that the shooting may have been a domestic incident.
Hudson's sister, school bus driver Julia, reported her son as missing after work on Friday.
Balfour married Julia in 2006, but his mother Michele Davis Balfour told the Chicago Sun-Times they have been experiencing problems in the last few weeks and were separated.
Close-knit: Hudson with her mother Darnell (C) and sister Julia (R), whose son Julian is missing
'I didn't raise no murderer,' Michele Balfour insisted. 'He was not a child abductor. They have the wrong person.'
Police confirmed they were speaking to 'a number of suspects' besides Balfour.
Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.
Neighbours pray at a makeshift shrine outside the house where Hudson's family were slain
Detectives believe the killing might be the result of a row over Julia’s car, it was reported yesterday.
Balfour was accused of stealing the vehicle from her – and his estranged wife told neighbours he threatened to kill the family in the ensuing row.
In a post on her MySpace page, Julia said Jason was picking her up from her job because ‘William bitch’ had sold it.
Balfour’s own MySpace pages boasts of his connection with Jennifer. He says: ‘I might as well let you know that Jennifer Hudson is my wife’s sister ...but don’t hit me up ’bout that.’
Crime scene: Police are continuing to investigate the Hudson family home for clues
Hudson, whose father Samuel Simpson died when she was a teenager, has described herself as very close to her family.
In a recent interview she said her family, which included older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.
She said: 'My faith in God and my family, they're very realistic and very normal, they're not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that's just another place that's home.
'I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I'm just Jennifer, (so she says), "You get up and you take care of your own stuff."
'And I love that; I don't like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean.'
Hudson shot to fame as a contestant on American Idol in 2004.
Last year, she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her critically-acclaimed performance as Effie White in Dreamgirls, co-starring Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy.
Following her performance as Carrie Bradshaw's assistant Louise in the Sex And The City Movie earlier this year, Hudson released her debut solo album three weeks ago.
Her single Spotlight is currently No.12 in the UK singles charts.
Last month, Hudson announced her engagement to boyfriend David Otunga.
Screen star: Hudson (R) won an Oscar for her performance in Dreamgirls alongside Beyonce Knowles (C) and Anika Noni Rose (L)
City girl: Hudson as Louise and Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex And The City movie
Police charged the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson with the murders of her mother, brother and nephew, expressing confidence on Tuesday the evidence was sufficient to convict. 
