Arrest made in Jennifer Hudson family killings

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Chicago, Illinois police arrested William Balfour, the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning American actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, on Monday, multiple media outlets reported. Balfour is expected to be charged with three counts of murder for the slayings of three of Hudson's relatives in October.

"We have obtained an arrest warrant for William Balfour. He was released to Chicago detectives," Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond told Reuters.

Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29 were found dead in Donerson's home on October 24 and the body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King was found four days later in a stolen SUV. A handgun police say is tied to the case was found nearby, but Reuters reports that Bond did not comment on any evidence in the case.

The Associated Press reports that police took Balfour into custody on Oct. 24 and held him for 48 before the Illinois Department of Corrections took possession of him on an alleged parole violation. Balfour previously served nearly seven years for a 1999 conviction attempted murder, vehicular hijacking, and possessing a stolen vehicle. CNN reports he was out of jail on parole at the time of the shootings.

Balfour's mother, Michelle Davis-Balfour, spoke to the press Monday night, saying she thought that there was no case against her son.

"If they found gun powder on his hands, you got a case; if they found a gun on him, he had a case; if they found a fingerprint on the truck that he did this, you got a case; but they don't have nothing," Davis-Balfour said, according to the Associated Press. She also said: "My son did not do this. I am sick of this. They need to focus on somebody else."

Davis-Balfour also accused at least one witness of lying while providing an alibi for his son, saying he was with one of three girls friends when the killings happened.

"He was with Diana that night and with Kate in the morning," she said, according to CNN.

Attorney for Balfour, Josh Kutnick, told CNN that his client is innocent. "He believes when the evidence comes out, he will be found not guilty," Kutnick told CNN.

Hudson became famous in 2004 when she was one of the finalists on the third season of the American hit television show American Idol. She later won multiple awards for her role in the 2006 motion picture Dreamgirls.

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Related news

"FBI says Jennifer Hudson's nephew found dead" — Wikinews, October 27, 2008
"FBI asked to assist in murder, kidnap investigation of Jennifer Hudson's relatives" — Wikinews, October 26, 2008
"Mother, brother of singer Jennifer Hudson found murdered, others reported missing" — Wikinews, October 25, 2008

Sources

Andrew Stern. "Arrest made in Jennifer Hudson family murders" — Reuters, December 1, 2008
Don Babwin. "Estranged relative arrested in Hudson killings" — Associated Press, December 1, 2008
Susan Roesgen, Staff Reports. "Man arrested in connection with Hudson slayings" — CNN, December 1, 2008

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