Legal

Jennifer Hudson family killer given life

By | Published on Thursday 26 July 2012

Jennifer Hudson

William Balfour, the man who, as previously reported, was found guilty in May of killing three members of singer and actress Jennifer Hudson’s family back in 2008, has been sentenced to three consecutive life terms with no opportunity for parole, plus a further 120 years for aggravated kidnapping and home invasion, reports Reuters.

As previously reported, Balfour, who had been married to Hudson’s sister Julia, shot dead the singer’s mother Darnell Donerson and brother Jason, seemingly after seeing balloons outside the Hudson family home, and believing them to be from his estranged wife’s new boyfriend. He then abducted and later killed the singer’s seven year old nephew (his stepson), Julian King.

Testifying at the start of Balfour’s trial in April, Hudson told the court: “None of us wanted [my sister] to marry him. We didn’t like how he treated her and I did not like how he treated my nephew”.

According to the Chicago Tribune, prior to receiving his sentence Balfour again professed his innocence, offering his “condolences” to Hudson’s family before adding: “My deepest sympathies go to Julian King. I loved him. I still love him”.

Judge Charles Patrick Burns then told Balfour: “To tell us in open court that you loved that child is an insult to all of us. He shared his life with you. For sure he looked up to you. There is no doubt in my mind he looked up to you as you were putting bullets into his head. I just hope his terror was short-lived”.

Handing down the sentence, Burns added: “You have the heart of an Arctic night. Your soul is as barren as dark space”.



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