Source: Fuse.tv
It’s been a long road to justice for Jennifer Hudson and her family since her mother, brother, and nephew were murdered by her brother-in-law William Balfour in 2008. Today, the case has come to a close now that Cook County Judge Charles Burns has imposed three consecutive life sentences for those murders as well as 120 years for the underlying felonies of home invasion and aggravated kidnapping on Balfour, who was convicted of the crimes by a jury of his peers in May.
According to the Chicago Tribune, in court today, Balfour made a statement to the victims’ family members, saying:
“My condolences go out to the family. My deepest sympathies go to Julian King. I loved him. I still love him.”
A female member of Balfour’s family reportedly burst into tears and ran out of the courtroom after he spoke but Judge Burns wasn’t moved in the slightest. He told Balfour his crimes “send a chill through all of us” and that the convicted murderer’s “soul is as barren as dark space.”
“The fact that you can stand in court and tell us you love that child is an insult to all of us,” Judge Burns said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he looked up to you as you were putting bullets into his head,” Burns said in a shaking voice. “I just hope his terror was short-lived.”
On October 24, 2008, Balfor shot and killed Hudson’s 57-year-old mother Darnell Donerson, her 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson and her 7-year-old nephew Julian King. According to Boston.com:
“Prosecutors portrayed Balfour as a jealous estranged husband who often stalked Julia Hudson’s house after he moved out in early 2008. They said all his anger and jealousy erupted into violence shortly after he came into the house and spotted a gift of balloons there that were from Julia Hudson’s new boyfriend.
“They told jurors that after Julia Hudson left the house for her job as a bus driver the morning of Oct. 24, Balfour returned with a .45-caliber handgun and shot Hudson’s mother in the back, and then shot Hudson’s brother twice in the head as he lay in bed.
“Prosecutors said that Balfour drove off in Jason Hudson’s SUV and shot him several times in the head as he lay behind the front seat. The boy’s body was found in the abandoned vehicle miles away after a three-day search.”
Jennifer and Julia Hudson were both present in the courtroom today and were said to have dabbed their eyes with tissues as Julian’s father, Gregory King, emotionally recalled his young son and how he enjoyed cartoons and playing with his friends and family.
Thankfully, the family will finally be able to put this case behind them as best they can as Balfour’s request for a new trial was denied.
Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.
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