Singer/actress' nephew is still considered missing.
considered missing.
Although Chicago police had yet to officially confirm, police sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune that a suspect in the double-homicide of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother has been taken into custody.
Earlier Friday (October 24), Chicago police told MTV News they had responded to a call shortly before 3 p.m. at a South Side residence belonging to Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, where they found both Donerson and Hudson's older brother, Jason, who had been shot and killed. Donerson was 57 years old; Jason was 29.
Chicago Police Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson told reporters in a press conference that neighbors reported hearing shots between 8 and 9 a.m. Friday. Patterson said a family member found the body of Donerson in the living room Friday afternoon and left the house to call police. When authorities arrived, they found Jason Hudson in a bedroom. Patterson said there was no sign of forced entry, and police were unsure if anything was missing from the house.
Chicago police told MTV News that William Balfour was a suspect in the double-homicide, which may have arisen from a domestic situtation; the Sun Times reported that Balfour is the suspect who was taken into custody. Balfour, 27, was out on parole from the Illinois River Correctional Center on attempted murder, carjacking and stolen-property charges, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was sentenced to serve seven years in 1999. He's 5-foot-5 and weighs 147 pounds. Police called him "armed and dangerous."
A Corrections rep said that Balfour was paroled in 2006; he was set to be discharged from that parole in May 2009.
Balfour was romantically involved with the singer/actress' sister Julia, who identified Balfour as her husband on her MySpace page. Balfour had been living at the residence and shared vehicle registration with Julia.
Julia's 7-year-old son, Julian King, was declared missing in the aftermath of the shooting. According to the Amber Alert issued for King, he is wearing a brown, striped polo shirt and khaki pants. He is 4 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds and has brown eyes and black hair. Despite reports that a suspect is in custody, Chicago police stressed to MTV News that King is still considered missing.
According to public records, the home is owned by Hudson's mother, but both Jennifer and Jason have been listed as residents for the second apartment. A neighbor, Vanessa Stanton, told ABC News, "Jason was a good person. His mom was too."
The Tribune reported that Hudson is not injured, according to her bodyguard. ABC News reported that Hudson was traveling to Chicago from Tampa, Florida. Her representative had no comment yet.