William Balfour Pleaded Not Guilty in Jennifer Hudson’s Family Killings

William Balfour

An update from Jennifer Hudson’s family tragedy last October.

The suspect in the slayings, William Balfour pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of first-degree murder and home invasion. 27-year-old Balfour, who is Jennifer Hudson’s brother-in-law, entered his plea after nodding to members of his family gathered at Cook County Criminal Court.

Balfour is accused of killing the Spotlight singer’s mother, Darnell Donerson, brother Jason Hudson, and the 7-year-old Julian King, son of Julia Hudson, his estranged wife. Prosecutors allege Balfour shot the three with the motive of jealousy because he was upset Julia Hudson had been dating another man. He is now being held without bail and is next scheduled to appear in court January 27.

Looking back at the tragedy, the bodies of Donerson and Jason Hudson were discovered October 24 at the family’s South Side home. While the body of 7-year-old Julian King body was found three days later in an SUV on the city’s West Side. Balfour was arrested shortly after the killings and held in Chicago police custody for 48 hours, before his transfer to state custody on what authorities said was a parole violation. He was charged with murder last month.

The Oscar-winning actress hasn’t made public appearances since the killings, but 27-year-old Hudson is scheduled to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on February 1, and she is also expected to give a performance at the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards, where she is nominated for four awards, including her self-titled debut album as best R&B album.

Tune in here for next updates!

[ via Yahoo News ]

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