: CHICAGO – (AP) Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges he shot to death the Oscar-winning actress's mother and brother and the 7-year-old son of his estranged wife.
William Balfour, 27, entered not guilty pleas to first-degree murder and home invasion charges after nodding to members of his family gathered in the last of three Cook County courtrooms he appeared in Tuesday.
Balfour is married to Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia Hudson. He is charged in the October deaths of the sisters' mother, Darnell Donerson, their brother, Jason Hudson, and Julia Hudson's 7-year-old son, Julian King.
Prosecutors allege Balfour shot the three in a jealous rage because he was upset Julia Hudson had been dating another man.
Prosecutors first asked that the case be reassigned to another judge, though they did not give a reason. Presiding Judge Paul P. Biebel Jr. then reassigned the case and Balfour entered his plea in the final courtroom.
Defense attorney Joshua Kutnick said he plans to ask at Balfour's next court appearance, set for Jan. 27, that Balfour be moved from a state prison in Joliet to Cook County Jail to make it easier to meet with him.
The bodies of Donerson and Jason Hudson were discovered Oct. 24 at the family's South Side home. King's 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 — the longest a person can be held without charges — before his transfer to state custody on what authorities said was a parole violation. He was charged with murder last month.
A publicist for Jennifer Hudson declined to comment Tuesday. She was a finalist in the 2004 season of "American Idol" and won her Oscar in 2007 for her supporting role in "Dreamgirls."
The 27-year-old singer and actress released her self-titled debut album in the fall but hasn't made public appearances since the killings.
Hudson is expected to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, and she is nominated for four awards at the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards.
Guarantee this case fails. The prosecutors have no hard evidence, and with the case being all *** this man is going to walk. I think the DA rushed to charge him because they of the publicity and the public outcry to find out who did this, instead of doing REAL work and finding ALL who were involved. Mark my words he is going to be found NOT GUILTY due to lack of evidence.
The_Stars_Critic - I cosign!!! Those have been my thoughts since day one.
He was a convenient person to pin these murders on. Look at how long they held him with no charges. Then you transfer him to state, b/c of other charges. Some practices are saved for those who can't afford a lawyer and it's BS.
Julia's timeline still makes no sense. NONE. If William was *** b/c she was seeing another man, why not kill her? I won't even begin with how the brother, baby daddy, and the accused all made their money.
*** ***. HE DONE SOMETHING. WHOS CHILD WAS HE WATCHIN WHEN HE CALD AND SD HE COULDNT MAKE IT TO THAT PROBATION OFFICER??? HE MAY NOT HAVE KILLED THAT CHILD, BUT I BET HE TOOK HIM OUTTA THAT HOUSE THAT DAY. IF WHO OVER WAS GONNA KILL HIM THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE EM ALL AT ONCE. WHO EVER THA LIL BOY WAS LEFT WITH LAST PROB KILLED HIM BCUS THEY KNEW HIS FUNKY AZZ WAS IN TROUBLE. IT DOESNT MATTER. IN THE END SOMEBODY WILL PAY FOR IT. EITHER NOW OF AFTER LIFE. EITHER WAY NONE OF THEM DESERVED TO DIE THE WAY THAT THEY DID NO MATTER THEIR PAST..ESP THAT LITTLE BOY. I JUST PLAIN OUT DONT LIKE THE WAY THIS *** LOOKS LIKE. OH PS HE DID ADMIT TO BEIN AT THAT HOUSE THAT A.M.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS AZZHOLE WILL WALK!!! THEY REALLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO HOLD HIM. CHICAGO DID A RUSH JOB TO CONVICT HIM.JULIA AND JENN JUST MADE THIS BOY A MILLIONAIRE. IF HE GETS OFF HE'S SUING JEN AND GETTING A BOOK DEAL, OFF OF HER NAME .HIS MOTHER LET IT BE KNOWN SHE IS SUEING. THIS IS SO, *** UP!!! IF HE GET OFF HE CAN'T BE TRIED AGAIN FOR THESE MURDERS.HE KNOWS HE'S GUILTY, WITH HIS GANG BANGING AZZ FRIENDS.THIS IS SO SAD. THIS MEANS HER FAMILY WILL NEVER HAVE CLOSURE OR REST IN PEACE. JULIA NEEDS TO TELL THE TRUTH AND TELL EVERYTHING HER GHETTO AZZ KNOW!!!!
HE'S INNOCENT.
I do not believe he did it. They had him in custody all that time, and they never said he did it. Chicago politics is dirty dirty, I know b/c I used to live there, and I believe they targeted this man and decided to pin it on him from jump instead of doing a FULL INVESTIGATION to rule out anyone else. You have to rule out and gather evidence.
Something smells fishy about this whole thing. And I do not want to believe that he murdered his child in cold blood like that.
Im going to need FRED to understand this, FRED... PLEADIN INNOCENT does NOT, I REPEAT does NOT mean you are found NOT GUILTY! Y'all are some special azz *** ain't you. Even TMZ is smarter than that and while you spam me out I said TEE-Em-Zee! Thanks! LOL *80% of Defense Atty's Lose their case, and please don't ask me how I know like I'm dumb I work at the Philadelphia Dist. Atty Office IN the *** unit...I know. I was told this myself BY a Defense attorney
