Celebrity Parent Murders: The Horrific Murders of Jennifer Hudson’s Family
How an Enraged Man Killed the Famous Singer’s Family.
Jennifer Hudson is known around the world for having an incredible voice and amazing acting skills. She has received many awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and two Grammy’s. Just recently, time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the year 2020.
To say the least, Jennifer is an icon.
However, her success did not come without loss. In 2008, Jennifer’s family was shot and killed by someone that we close to them.
Throughout all of this grave trauma, Jennifer had to persevere.
The Murders
In Chicago on the Southside, Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Danell Donerson, 57, her brother Jason Hudson, 29, and her nephew Julian King, 7, were brutally murdered. The killer was Jennifer’s former brother-in-law.
On October 24, 2008, William Balfour, 34, walked into Danell’s house and shot her in the living room. He then killed Jason in his bedroom. Balfour took Julian, the child, and drove away in Jason’s SUV.
Two days later, the police found her nephew’s body in the back seat of Jason’s SUV. He sustained multiple gunshots on his body and one to the head that killed him.
Not the Ideal Person
Jennifer had begged her sister, Julia, not to marry William Balfour. The family didn’t like the way he treated her. He was a career criminal. William had been arrested for carjacking, gang activity, and selling drugs.
He dropped out of school in tenth grade. His father and brother were also ex-cons.
He was not the best candidate for a brother-in-law.
Balfour was on parole at the time for a 1992 attempted murder conviction.
But love is blind, and Julia loved William Balfour and decided to marry him anyway.
Then Julia chose to divorce him a few years later. At the time, she had no idea the heartbreak he would cause her.
But, Balfour was unwilling to let Julia go and often come around the house and threaten her.
“If you ever leave me, I’m going to kill you, but I’m going to kill your family first. You will be the last to die,” Balfour said according to court records.
He liked to go around to see if she had a man in the house.
His obsession and jealousy of Julia came to a tragic end when he killed her son, mother, and brother.
He was arrested the day of the killings and charged with a triple murder.
The Evidence
After the murders, a witness came forward and told the police they saw Balfour with a chrome and black .45 caliber gun days before the murders.
The investigators found gun residue on Belfour’s clothing and on the SUV’s steering wheel.
They also found Jason’s SUV’s keys in his pocket
Cell phone records place him near the murders.
Balfour stated any evidence the police found was planted by the police and he was an innocent man. He claimed that he had no idea who could have killed Julia’s family.
Belfour’s defense attorney stated there was no evidence against their client.
Jennifer Hudson was at the trail every day.
The jury found Balfour guilty of three counts of first-degree murder, home invasion, residential burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, and aggravated kidnapping. He has no possibility of parole.
After the trial, Jennifer stated she had forgiven Belfour and wanted to live her best life because that’s what her loved ones would have liked.
Jennifer persevered and rose up against all odds.
