Posts Tagged ‘murder’

William Balfour Pleads Not Guilty

January 20th, 2009

William Balfour, the man accused of killing Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and home invasion.

Balfour, 27, entered his plea on Tuesday at Cook County Criminal Court in Chicago. Before doing so, he nodded to members of his family in the courtroom.

Balfour is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia. He is accused of murdering her son and Jennifer’s nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother Jason Hudson in October.

Balfour is currently being held without bail. He is set to return to court on Jan. 27.

William Balfour Indicted on Hudson Murders

December 30th, 2008

The man accused of killing Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew has been formally indicted on murder and home invasion charges.

William Balfour, 27, was indicted on the same four counts he was formally charged with earlier this month–three counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion, E! online is reporting. Balfour appeared in court on Tuesday where he continued to deny any involvement in the Oct. 24 slayings of Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7 in Chicago.

Balfour’s attorney has asked that he be transferred to the Cook County Jail in order to be nearer to his family. The next hearing is set for Jan. 20.

 

 

Lillo Brancato Jr. Cleared of Murder

December 23rd, 2008

Lillo Brancato Jr., an actor who appeared in The Sopranos and starred in A Bronx Tale alongside Robert De Niro has been convicted of attempted burglary in a case that had him on the line for murder, according to the Associated Press.

 

Prosecutors were trying to show that the actor was at fault during a botched attempt to steal prescription drugs in 2005, when he was with Steven Armento, who shot at and killed off-duty cop Daniel Enchautegui after he caught them trying to break into an apartment. Both men were shot as well.

 

Brancato will now serve three to fifteen years in jail for his role in the crime.

Jealousy Possible Motive for Hudson Murders

December 3rd, 2008

William Balfour, the man charged with murdering Jennifer Hudson’s family members, may have had one of the oldest motives in the book for killing.

Just hours after his bail was denied on Wednesday, prosecutors say Balfour, 27, may have been plain jealous that his estranged wife Julia (Hudson’s sister) was seeing another man. He reportedly threatened to "harm" her family if she continued to see a new man and confronted them, prosecutors say, on the day of the murders.

TMZ is reporting that Balfour was just brought to Cook County Jail, booked and is now being housed in the general population.

Police “Confident” They Have Hudson Murder Suspect

December 2nd, 2008

A day after Chicago police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar winning actress Jennifer Hudson, William Balfour has been charged with the murders of Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew.

On Tuesday, police said they are sure they have the right man in custody.

"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 Weiss said on Tuesday.

Police say they have the murder weapon and physical evidence as well as testimony that would convict Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia. They say the motive involved a dispute between the two.

Hudon’s mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were found shot to death in their home on Chicago’s South Side on Oct. 24. The body of 7-year-old Julian King, Julia’s son, was found four days later. The gun used in the slayings was found nearby.

 
In addition to the murders, police have also charged Balfour with home invasion.

Balfour’s mother, michele Balfour, insisted on her son’s innocence, telling reporters, "They got a botched-up investigation," she said, adding that her son loved Hudson’s mother, Darnell, more than he loved her. "But I’m still his mother," she said.

 
Police say no deals were made in exchange for witness statements implicating Balfour, who has been held on a parole violation since the murders.

"We had citizens standing up and doing the right thing," Weiss said.

William Balfour Arrested for Hudson Murders

December 1st, 2008

More than a month after Oscar Winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old cousin were discovered brutally shot to death, Police finally have a suspect in custody.

Chicago police have arrested 27-year-old William Balfour for the Oct. 24 murders of  Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson and Julian King. Balfour had been in custody for a parole violation and was transferred to Chicago police custody after officers served a warrant for his arrest on Monday.

At a closed hearing last month investigators presented evidence that Balfour had a gun matching the weapon used in the slayings. He is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia.

He now awaits charges by the Cook County State Attorney’s Office.

Inside Jennifer’s Family Turmoil

November 4th, 2008

During Monday’s memorial service for her mother Darnell Donerson, brother Jason Hudson and her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, Jennifer Hudson somehow managed to keep a brave face, breaking down only in front of her fiance David Otunga, who an insider says "wiped her tears and held her close" as they followed a procession of three hearses and a horse-drawn trolley (carrying Julian’s body) to Chicago’s Apostolic Church of God on Nov. 3.

Several of Hudson’s celeb friends, including Oprah Winfrey, American Idol’s Fantasia and Queen Latifah, were part of the 450 people at the service.  But despite the show of support for the Oscar winner, a family insider tells OK! that trouble is brewing between Hudson, 27, and her sister Julia.

"Jennifer and Julia do not seem to be getting along," the insider tells OK!. "She [Julia] probably feels that the spotlight has been on Jennifer’s struggle, completely overshadowing the fact that she lost a s0n."

Another reason may also be Julia’s estranged relationship with William Balfour. Balfour, 27, is currently in custody for a parole violation but is being considered a "person of interest" by authorities in the Hudson triple murders.

"If William is responsible for the slayings, it is because of his relationship with Julia," the family insider tells OK!.

But whatever Julia may be feeling, Jennifer was clearly devastated by the news of her family’s murders and appeared "visibly shaken" as she made her way into the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office on Oct. 28 to identify her nephew Julian King’s body.

 

ME spokesperson, Sean Howard, tells OK!, "She bravely stood up and said ‘We’re gonna get through this.’" Jennifer later told authorities, "I thank you for helping us with this. God is going to get me through this, and because you helped us, God is going to bless you."

For the entire story on Jennifer’s family tragedy, pick up the new OK!–on newsstands everywhere on Thursday!

Suspected Murder Weapon Found in Hudson Case

October 30th, 2008

There’s been a new development in the murders of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew.

On Wednesday, police found a handgun in an abandoned lot, about a block away from the SUV where 7-year-old Julian King’s body was found, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Earlier in the day, cops sent 100 personnel to search the area where the boy’s body was discovered. Officials believe the gun they found was used in all three murders.

Story developing…

 

Jennifer’s Family Nightmare

October 29th, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff

This last year has been an amazing year for Jennifer Hudson. Besides enjoying a career high that currently includes a starring role in the film The Secret Life of Bees, and her self-titled debut album, the Oscar-winning actress became engaged to fiance David Otunga. Life couldn’t have looked better for the girl who first got her start as an American Idol castoff.

But on Oct. 24, Hudson’s luck took a tragic turn as news broke of the brutal murders of her mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and big brother, Jason Hudson, 29. The two were found shot to death in their home on Chicago’s South Side. Jennifer’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was missing.

 

The actress flew from Florida where she’d been promoting The Secret Life of Bees, to Chicago to aid in the search for the second grader. On Oct. 25, Jennifer offered a $100,000 reward for Julian’s return, along with a heartwrenching plea on her Web Site, "Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely," she wrote.

Sadly, the family’s worst nightmare came true on Oct. 27, when police discovered Julian’s lifeless body in the back seat of a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban which they said had been taken from the murder scene three days earlier. On the day she was supposed to launch a world tour for her self-titled debut CD, Jennifer instead had to sit in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, waiting for officials to identify the body of her little nephew.

"At 27, Jennifer was on the top of the world–Oscars, honors, accolades–and someone just stole her dream away," Jenifer Lewis of Broadway’s original cast of Dreamgirls told OK!.

Jennifer, along with three other relatives, had the catastophic task of confirming that the victim’s body was Julian’s before authorities announced the determinations. An autopsy was scheduled for Oct. 28, the cause of death believed to be multiple gunshot wounds.

On Oct. 24, police picked up Hudson’s brother-in-law and Julian’s step-father, William Balfour, 27. An ex-con who spent 7 years in jail for, among other crimes, attempted murder, Balfour has since been turned over to state officials for a parole violation, which will keep him behind bars while the case is being investigated. While no charges have been filed, police are calling Balfour a "person of interest."

 

As for Jennifer’s state of mind, a friend tells OK! that the actress is doing her best to keep it together for her remaining relatives.

"Jennifer only has her sister left — they need to move on together," Hudson’s pal Marco tells OK!. "But she is a very strong lady. With her family, friends and fans standing behind her, she will get through this."

For the entire story on Jennifer Hudson’s family nightmare, pick up the new OK! — on newsstands everywhere on Thursday.

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