William Balfour (above), who is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister and the prime suspect in 
the killings of her mother and brother, is in custody. He has not been charged with any crimes at this time. The Chicago Police Department released a photo of seven-year-old Julian King (pictured at right), who has been missing since the murders. A nationwide Amber Alert has been issued in an attempt to find him.
Gossip outlet TMZ, which appears to be scouring the block on the South Side of Chicago where the murders took place in the longtime home of the Hudson family, is claiming that police are focusing on a dispute over a car.
“TMZ has spoken with several other neighbors this morning who say Julia complained to them that William Balfour sold one of their cars without permission. One neighbor told TMZ the dispute got so heated William threatened to “kill Julia’s family” but she didn’t report it because she didn’t take it seriously.”
Bloggers and Internet users, hungry for information on the only known murder suspect, have been surprised to discover that William Balfour’s MySpace page has not been taken down. On the page, William describes himself as follows:
“I AM A 26 YEAR OLD, I RESIDE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO, I HAVE A WIFE HER NAME IS JULIA, AND I ALSO HAVE A 6 YR OLD STEPSON, I DON’T TOLERATE BULLSHIT, SO DON’T COME TO ME WITH IT, I LIKE TO LIVE LIFE AND EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING THATS WHY I’M HERE SEEING WHAT IT’S ABOUT, I MIGHT AS WELL LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT JENNIFER HUDSON IS MY WIFE’S SISTER I’M PROUD OF HER AND WISH HER NOTHING BUT THE BEST IN WHAT SHE DO BUT DON’T HIT ME UP ASKING BOUT HER, OTHER THAN THAT IT’S ON!”
The following picture of Jennifer’s murdered brother Jason was posted recently to Julia Hudson’s MySpace page. (Be sure to read the caption!)
This tragedy strikes Jennifer Hudson at a time when her career is skyrocketing. After winning an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007′s Dreamgirls, Jennifer not only performed at the Democratic National Convention at the request fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama but her single “Spotlight” is at the top of the R&B charts. She also had roles this year in Sex and the City and The Secret Life of Bees. Even more tragic: The killings come mere months after her engagement to David Otunga, aka Punk from I Love New York.
Share your condolences and browse pictures of Jennifer Hudson, her family and suspect William Balfour.
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Comments
142 Responses to “Jennifer Hudson’s Mom And Brother Murdered, Suspect In Custody, Nephew Still Missing”
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT J.HUD YOUR IN MY PRAYS AND I NHOPE THAT YULL FIND THE SUCK PERSON WHO DID THIS
sorry for you lost it will be hard but god will see u though and he will always be right there for you.
rose are red
violet are blue
god will take of
YOU
roses are red
violet are blue
god love u
TOO
ms hudson, be strong god will take care you, and your nephew, stay prayful, get peace in your heart, and the hurt and pain will be at ease . your fan tanya
J. Hudson, you will be in my prayers. Remember that GOD will continue to be with you through it all. Good luck on finding your nephew, and pray for the better. Whoever did this is going to pay for their actions. Just find it in your heart to forgive them.
Jennifer, I am so sorry for your losses. May the Lord give you and
your family the strength that you will need to get through this
tragedy. I hope Julian will be found safe soon. Keeping you in
my thoughts and prayers.
J. Hudson, sorry for your loss. You will be in my prayers. Good luck on finding your nephew. Whoever did this is going to pay for their actions. Just find it in your heart to forgive them. Remember that GOD will be with you through it all. Take care and continue doing you.
To the Hudson family i am really pray for your family that God help you guys get throgh this big lose I my self about two or three years ago had a aunt that was murdered and left for dead it’s going to be hard to try to move on but with the help of the Good Lord ever thing is going to be all right i promise you it will just remeber God in still in control and if your mother and brother was saved you shall see them again when Jesus comes back for his people my God help you Ms Hudson and your family through this big lose Casa Smith (Fort Worth, Tx)
so so so sorry 4 your lost i do have u in my prays stay strong luv v girl
SORRY TO HEAR WHAT HAPPEN THEY R IN A GOOD PLACE NOW KEEPU IN PRAYER AND FAMILY.
i m crying but yea i feel sorry because i hate when people die i lov u j hud i hope u do well
- YA LIL SIS (NAY)
I SO SO FOR YOUR LOSS ON YOUR BROTHER, MOM. I HOPE THEY FIND THE S.O.B. WHO DID THIS!!!! MAY THE PERSON/PEOPLE WHO DID THIS TO YOUR FAMILY ROT IN HELL. I HOPE YOUR ALSO ABLE TO FIND YOUR NEPHEW.
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Comment is required WOW! That William Balfour is one ugly and scarey @%^*^!(`%*`(+$^!(+ I can well believe he would murder everybody! How come jennifer,you didnt move oyur mother away from all those @%^*^!(`%*`(+$^!(+ s in Da Hood! Too cheap??
They wouldnt let me say the N word! Ha ha ha ! That is one scarey ape!!
I am very sorry for your loss no words can express how much and I pray they find your nephew and bring him home save……whoever did this my god have mercy or their souls….dear lord please bring her nephew how safely amen
SORRY 4 YOUR LOST. I HAVE THE SAME SITUATION,BUT IT’S JUST MY DAD WHOS DEAD. SO WAERE ON THE SANE PAGE.BUT IF I SEE THE KILLER THAT KILED YOUR MOM AND BROTHER,I’LL MAKE SURE I’LL TELL THE POLICE.LUV U YOUR BIGGEST FAN!
r.i.p man 1 day love ones can be here next they my not be here i wish the best for the family
That is such a tragedy to lose your family members.I hope they find the little boy .Jennifer my condolences girl .
such a tragedy, my family is praying for you and your’s
That is such a tragedy to lose your family members.Sorry for your lost Jennifer .The lord is on your side .He will biring your Nephew back to you.
It’s so sad that just because a women wants to move on with her life, and the man isnt man enough to handle it , he has to take anothers life to prove his point. my prayers go out to the family,and we all should just pray and love one another in these sad days.
Jennifer and Family, our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your loved ones. I cannot begin to imagine your pain, but trust in the Lord to bring you through. Remember them in life instead of death. Our condolences and may your nephew be kept out of harm’s way and returned to him mom safely. Father God we ask that you keep this family in your arms to remove all hurt, we love you and wqe trust you lord, forever and ever. Amen. May god bless anbd keep you in these dark days, Ch
Keep your hands in GODS,Hell see you through these troubleling times.GOD bless you and your family,he knows youve blessed ours!!Love the REIDS
Omg im so sorry 2 hear about that i love Jennifer Hudson music and acting.. I’m sorry that she lost her mother nd brother @ the same time and day!!! i hope u can get though the pain and keep ur head up nd i wish u the best through out your career…
Jennifer, The pain you feel right now must be unbelievable. Hold on tight to the ones you love and they will get you through this. Your mother and brother are still with you, watching you and being filled with pride. You just can’t touch them right now, but you will again someday. Millions of thoughts and prayers are being sent to you and your family right now. Be the strong, beautiful, talented woman that your momma raised and do her proud, she deserves nothing less. May God be with you and I pray that your precious nephew is brought home safely. Much love, Mindy Orling
To the hudson family. I cant even imagine the pain that you all are going thru.But I pray for your family everyday. I hope that they find that little boy. and i hope that he is safe.i am very sorry that something like this happened to jennifer. i did not know her personially. but from what i can tell shes a good person and i dont wish this on no one. And as far as william balfour go if he did do that he deserve to be under the jail that is cruel and you have to be a sick person and he needs to suffer from ms.Renee
MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE HUDSON’S FAMLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
POLICE HAVE TO FIND THE BOY THE SAME WAY THEY FIND THE OTHER WHITE BOY ON LESS THEM ON DAY.THEN DON’T MAKE IT UP.I NEED THE TRUE STORY .REMINBER THIS ILLINOIS STATE ,AND JENNIFER BE A GOOD TARGET FOR THE OTHER SIDE. TARGET A GOOD ONE.AND SHE IS POPULAR.FULL INVESTIGATION ON THAT. NO BULL ,NO BIAS……..CONDOLEANCE.JENNIFER AND ALL HER FAMILIES.BECAUSE THAT NOT CLEAR.
My deepest condolence going out to u and ur family, in this grief stricken time. but always remember the man above always do the things he do for a reason,keep your head up J_HOOD
My prayer goes out to the Hudson family so sorry for the lost Jen
may god be with you lots of love from
hawaii
NO MC .CAIN ,NO PALIN ,.FULL INVESTIGATION WHEN MURDER TAKE PLACE ON THE SOUTH OF ILLINOIS.JENNIFER TARGET WE NEED THE TRUE STORY NO BULL ,NO BIAS.HOW MANY HAVE TO BE KILLED IN SILENCE BEFORE THIS EVIL ELECTION. WHERE IS THE BOY ,PUT HIM SOME WHERE WHATEVER THE PERSON HE HAS HIM.CHURCH ANYWHERE. OR IF HE DIE ALREADY POLICE DON’T SAID THAT YET.FULL INVESTIGATION..JENNIFER BE A TARGET OR NOT WE NEED THE TRUE.
IF SHE BE A TARGET SHE WAS A GOOD ONE ,BECAUSE OF HER CAMPAIGN TRIAL.THE EVIL OUTSIDE WHO WILL BE NEXT.BE CAREFUL.THANK GOD I’AM AWAY NOW.
i AM SOOOO SORRY ABOUT YOU LOSE. I LOVE YOUR MUSIC AND I HOPE HE GO TO JAIL 4LYFE 4 DOING WHAT HE DID TO YOUR PEOPLES. THAT LUST NOT RIGHT.
jenn I will keep u in my prays
he needs to be in jail under the jail sell
i wish you and david the best keep your head up strong keep living your life and again sorry about your lost R.I.P Jenn mother and brother hope your nephew is safe and hope he be found and returned to the place he needs to be in your loving caring arms
The media is so shameless. Jennifer has lost her mother and brother and all they can do is scour myspace for pics of her family. Is it not enough that almost every aspect of her life is viewed by the public eye? Can you even imagin the amount of grief she must be feeling? They are pure idiots! Someone loses their family and if that’s not hard enough itself, it’s plastered on tv and computers. If any of them had a human bone in thier body they would take all of this bull down and let the athorities handle it. Jenn i am praying for you and your nephew.
This story breaks my heart more than anything I’ve heard in recent weeks. As someone who is from Chicago as well, my most sincere thoughts and prayers go to Jennifer Hudson through this time. Their killer WILL be brought to justice. To Jennifer Hudson herself: whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so continue to do what you do best and greatness will come to you.
I Would just like to say how sorry i am for your loss i cant imagine how you must be feeling .
but i ask that you say strong, because justice will be done one way or another. evil does not get away that easily.
Jennifer keep doing you and making your family proud.XXX
your Mother and Brother will rest in peace but their killer never will.
My heart goes out to Jennifer and her sister, I hope they find your son very soon Julia. I’m a big fan of Jennifer’s and when I hear her sing it sends chills through me. You have a powerful voice and with it you touched many people. This tramatic experience has made me very sad and angry, it hearts my heart to know that someone can take a life so easily, the that did this will pay believe me, he has to answer to god, and to all the inmates that he will be housed with. I know this will be the hardest of all for you to get through, but please stay strong you have angels watching you from the sky who want the best for you, Jennifer you know what your mamma and brother would want for you so please stay strong and live on through your mother and brother. I know this is easier said then done, I can’ t even imagine how, but I hope God carries you through this. The world needs your service, you make people get teary eyes when they hear your voice, you are the best thing that has happened to the music industry in a long time, you are original. Please Continue to touch people. Julia (Jennifer’s sister) I know this is hard for you to but Please stay strong, I will pray for your son Julian to be safe and I’ll keep your family in my prays. God Bless You Both and anyone in your family who is effected by this tramatic experience.
yours truly and loyally
Fan for Life no matter
what you will never be forgotten
Michele Patterson
I am probably a little jaded, but you hear about it so much, do you think that the sister could be behind this? How close were they really, because I didn’t see to many real tears during her plea for the return of her son, and most black guys don’t want to take care of their own kids, let alone kidnap someone elses. sorry but it is just my opinion, hopefully, it will not turn out true………
well one thing is for sure the lord will revile who did this my question is when that lil white kid came up missing all the news stations were blocked and even myspace page but to say the least if he’s 8 yrs old he can talk so my guess is he’s a wittness to this mess and someone has him in hiding now for the neighbor what do you mean he said he would kill the family why did you not report it?thats not something to be overlooked God bless them and like i said the lord has his why of busting your bubble its in the book you can not change whats in it
I just hope and pray that they find that little boy safe. thats sad that he had to go thru something like that. All i can do is pray for the Hudson family.
Why does Jennifer Hudson’s mom live in a slum like that? wierd
shakenda what difference does it make where her mother lives she was killed. Maybe her mother was happy in the area that she was in. She may not had of wanted much from her daughter and besides who’s to say that she does not or was not getting ready to be put in that big mansion. some people need to think first before they comment…
This is to jennifer..
hunnie i no its hard to be going through this time and u being a celebrity at the same time..but always no that this is God’s plan, and will never put more on you than u can bear love. He loves you with all his heart, and he will never leave you or forsake you babe..
I agree with Shenel, what kind of slum do you live in? Some people like to feel comfortable and stay in the same neighborhood that they have lived in their whole lives. Lets stay focused on the REAL ISSUES… her mother is dead and her brother is dead. The house is the least bit of their worries right now!
william is a %&()~&“*+~%())%# if he did that )$~^+)+#$!~#%%*$ i am really pissed off about this. y the hell would u do something like that over a argument about a car. there might b something deeper than that but still he did not have to kill her family over it. if he ever did that to one of my family members he would be dead right now cause i dont play that type of )$~^+)+#$!~#%%*$ he desevers whatever he gets cause he a %&()~&“*+~%())%# Jennifer Hudson i wish you the best of luck and i know u can make it though this u r a strong black woman and we all love you!
What a tragedy…..my prayers and wishes go out to Jennifer and her family in this horrible time.
Great job cleaning up the south side of Chicago Obama!
R.I.P I KNOW U IN A BETTER PLACE
I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS TERRIBLE TRADEGY THAT HAS HAPPENED.I DON’T KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO LOSE A MOTHER,BROTHER,ETC,BUT I KNOW THAT IT HURTS.I KNOW THAT U R HURTING RIGHT NOW,BUT JUST HOLD ON TO GODS HAND AND I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT.MY PRAYERS GO OUT OT U AND YOUR FAMILY AND I HOPE THAT YOUR NEPHEW RETURNS HOME SAFELY.JUST KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND PRAY.LOVE YOU.
My condolences go out to Jennifer and her family, when I first heard about this horrible tragedy my heart broke. God lets things happen for a reason and the only thing that I can say is that he need two more angels to help him with the demons on earth, so if it was there time just know that they are at peace helping the lord. I know that she getting alot of emails but I hope she gets this one and it gives here some kind of peace.
Dawn Williams
Durham, NC