Results tagged “jasonhudson”

The attorney for William Balfour, the man charged with the murders of Darnell Donnerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King (actress/singer Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, respectively), has quit the case. Joshua Kutnick insists he believes his client is innocent but says he doesn't have the money for such a high-profile case. Said Kutnick, "It's the kind of case that involves intense hours. I was gathering all resources, but I couldn't finance it." Balfour is expected to receive new representation, a court-appointed public defender soon, soon.

Prosecutors today informed suspect William Balfour that he has been formally indicted in the murders of Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7, the mother, brother, and nephew of actress/singer Jennifer Hudson. Balfour was informed of the indictment at a court appearance this morning. Balfour was indicted on three counts of first degree murder as well as a count of home invasion. Thanks to the indictment, prosecutors don't have to present detailed evidence at a preliminary hearing.

William Balfour was denied bail at a hearing today by Judge Raymond Myles. His attorney, Joshua Kutnick, claims there are no witnesses and no connection between Balfour and the murder weapon. Prosecutors presented arguments that included:

• Balfour told detectives that he was home at the time of the shootings, but cell phone records showed he was in the vicinity of the Hudson family home.
  Continue reading "Bail Denied For Balfour"

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis expressed confidence that they've built a strong case against William Balfour, the suspect formally charged in the killings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew. Police recovered the murder weapon and the SUV in which seven-year-old Julian King was killed. Said Weis, "I think if you talk to the new state's attorney [Anita Alvarez] she'll be as confident in this case as I am." Weis also says there is physical evidence putting Balfour at the scene of the shootings of Hudson's mother and brother inside their Englewood home on October 24. Balfour's attorney says his client has admitted nothing; Balfour has a bond hearing today. For Weis' sake, after a year of constant screw-ups, we hope he's right and has his shit together for once.

William Balfour has been formally charged in the murders of Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson, and Julian King, all relatives of actress/singer Jennifer Hudson. He has been charged with one count of home invasion and three counts of first-degree murder. Sources have told the Trib that most of the evidence is circumstantial, but police are confident they have done the proper legwork to secure a conviction, including motive, witnesses, cell phone records that tracked Balfour's movements the day of the shootings, and an alleged confession to his girlfriend. The Sun-Times also reported a source as saying Balfour confessed the murders to a friend, but didn't indicate whether or not this was his alleged confession to his girlfriend or an additional admission of guilt. His mother, Michele, said, "They have a botched-up investigation and they're trying to pin it on him." Balfour is set for a bond hearing tomorrow.

Five weeks after the October 24 murder of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, Chicago Police have finally arrested Hudson's former brother-in-law William Balfour in connection with the murders. He has been the prime suspect in the case since the start; he was already being held in a state corrections facility on parole violation charges stemming from a police investigation into his possible role in the murders and was transferred to Chicago Police custody once the arrest warrant was issued.

Singer/actress Jennifer Hudson took to her MySpace blog this week to issue a quick note of thanks to fans for support since the triple murders that claimed her mother, brother, and nephew. In the post, Hudson said:

I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your love and concern. jhud

William Balfour, the "person of interest" in the Hudson murders, will remain in police custody. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board considered testimony from William Balfour's girlfriend that she saw him with a gun on the day of the shootings matching the murder weapon as evidence enough to revoke his parole and keep him in police custody while investigators continue to examine how he's connected to the triple-murder. The Parole Board also ruled the June 19th drug arrest as grounds for revoking Balfour's parole even though it was considered so at the time, something that is sure to come under intense scrutiny if Balfour is charged in the Hudson slayings.

William Balfour, the "person of interest" in the killings of the mother, brother, and nephew of Jennifer Hudson, is scheduled for a parole hearing this morning that many news outlets are touting as something that could allow Balfour to "go free." The parole hearing, which was to happen at 9 a.m. this morning in Stateville, will determine if there is enough evidence in the Hudson case to constitute a violation of Balfour's parole and keep him in custody while police continue their investigation; charges still haven't been filed in the late October incident. In the latest development, the Trib is reporting law enforcement sources as saying Balfour has not only admitted to being in the Englewood home of Hudson's family (where Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson and brother Jason Hudson were found shot) the morning of the shooting, but is saying that Balfour's current girlfriend claims Balfour admitted to being involved in the killings.

Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday for a public memorial honoring Jennifer Hudson's slain family members: her mother Darnell Hudson Donerson, brother Jason Hudson, and nephew Julian King. The public service followed a private service attended by extended family and close friends at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church in Hyde Park. Afterwards, members of the public were able to file through the church signing sympathy cards and viewing images of the victims. Friends, coworkers, and classmates shared stories about the victims and remembered them with jokes and stories. Cousin Shari Sweat said of Donerson, "She taught me how to shake a tail feather. She had a soft voice, but you should not let that fool you. She was a great debater." Julian's teacher Carmen Williams told mourners, "When Julian raised his hand in class, he had that enthusiastic look in his eye. And he always, always had the right answer."

As Chicago police announced the gun they had found earlier this week in an alley was indeed the gun used in last week's killings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, they're now trying to track the gun from it's origins to Chicago. The ATF has traced the gun back to its original owner in Michigan, who reported it stolen. Now it appears that Jason Hudson may have owned an identical gun that was stolen earlier this year from the Englewood home where he and his mother, Darnell Donerson, were shot to death last Friday. If this holds true, it points another finger at suspect William Balfour, who had been thrown out of the home by the family earlier this year. However, police say they're keeping all options open as their investigation continues. Also surfacing is a report that Jason was shot in the leg in an incident earlier this year, an injury he never sought medical treatment for.

Police say forensic tests have confirmed that the .45-caliber Sig-Sauer semiautomatic pistol recovered earlier this week is indeed the weapon used in the shootings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew. ATF officers tracked the gun to its original owner in Michigan who reported it stolen.

There haven't been any new major breaks, but some details in connection to the high-profile triple homicide which has come to be a tragic symbol of Chicago's violent year have steadily been streaming out.

The gun found yesterday in an alley a block from where the body of murdered 7-year-old Julian King was discovered matches the caliber of gun (.45) used in the murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew, based on comparisons with shell casings found at the murder scene. A witness reported seeing a white vehicle drive through the alley and dump something. Still, police are remaining cautious since the area has high gang activity and consider it unlikely a suspect would drop a murder weapon so close to a crime scene.

As police try to piece together what happened Friday in the triple homicide that claimed the lives of actress Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and 7-year-old nephew, some evidence points to multiple perps involved in the killings. It appears as if someone may have driven suspect William Balfour back to the West Side the afternoon after the murders, possibly with Julian King in tow.

Witnesses said Balfour drove his teal Chrysler to the Hudsons' block Friday, arriving about 7 a.m. But later the vehicle was discovered by police parked about a mile away outside Robeson High School. Balfour's girlfriend told police that he was at her West Side home not long after the slayings of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and the Oscar-winning actress' brother, Jason, at their Englewood home, sources said...

Continue reading "Police: Possibility of Multiple Suspects in Hudson Killings"