He long suspected his wife was having an affair and “threatened her family with harm” if it didn’t stop, prosecutors said in court Wednesday. But when William Balfour discovered a birthday token to singer-actress Jennifer Hudson’s
He long suspected his wife was having an affair and “threatened her family with harm” if it didn’t stop, prosecutors said in court Wednesday. But when William Balfour discovered a birthday token to singer-actress Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia, that Balfour believed came from another man, rage set in, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney LuAnn Show said before a judge denied him bail. Balfour, 27, was charged Tuesday with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion in the Oct. 24 shooting deaths of the Hudson sisters’ mother, Darnell Donerson; brother, Jason Hudson; and Julia’s 7-year-old son, Julian King. Donerson and Hudson were found after 3 p.m. by Julia in the family’s home in the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue. The boy was found three days later on the West Side, inside a white SUV owned by Jason. It was found not far from Balfour’s home. Police said the boy was also killed the same day as his grandmother and uncle. Clad in a yellow jumpsuit and donning cornrows, Balfour, Julia’s estranged husband, often shook his head in denial as Snow detailed the events that led up to the triple slaying. Balfour and Hudson lived apart. The morning of the murders, while her mother, brother and son slept, Balfour briefly stopped by to talk with Hudson. When he noticed birthday paraphernalia, he suspected they came from a boyfriend. He became jealous and again made threats against the family, Snow said. Hudson said she didn’t take Balfour seriously that day because a series of threats he made earlier that month were empty. They both left the home about 8:10 a.m., and Hudson got into her car and saw Balfour walking to his car, according to Snow. Snow said the evidence is stacked against Balfour. Witnesses said Balfour told them he had a gun in his car, and gunshot residue was found on his steering wheel. They also saw him driving the white SUV and parking it near his home on the West Side. A girlfriend saw him with a gun that matched the .45 caliber that was used to kill the family and also said Balfour confessed to her that he committed the murders, she said. Balfour’s attorney Joshua Kutnick refuted the evidence. Kutnick said his client has been tainted in the media as guilty, and the police and prosecutors rushed “to judgment” in the case. He said there is no direct evidence linking Balfour to the crimes and pointed out that his car was “not used in the commission of the crimes” so gunshot residue inside of his car is irrelevant to the case. Kutnick also questioned the credibility of the witnesses and said he and Balfour look forward to challenging them at trial. “The statements that police have gathered are unreliable, and likely in some cases, self-serving,” he said. Balfour’s next hearing is Dec. 30. ______ Please "Download attachment file" to see copy of lawsuit.
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