Jennifer Hudson's Estranged Brother-in-Law Found Guilty of Triple Murder
Jennifer Hudson
William Balfour, Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, E! News reports.
A Chicago jury delivered its verdict Friday after 18 hours of deliberation. Balfour, 31, faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He was also found guilty of aggravated kidnapping, home invasion, residential burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law pleads not guilty to murder charges in family slayings
Hudson was joined by family members and fiancé David Otunga in the courtroom while the verdict was read.
Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in October 2008. The body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found days later in a vehicle miles from their home. Balfour, who was estranged from Hudson's sister, Julia, at the time of the murders, pleaded not guilty in early 2009 to the murder charges.
Prosecutors maintained that Balfour acted out in a jealous rage over what he thought was another man in Julia's life.
During Hudson's testimony, the Oscar-winning actress, who was the prosecution's first witness, recalled how she had warned Julia to stay away from Balfour. "None of us wanted her to marry him," she said. "We did not like how he treated her."