By Chris Richburg
William Balfour, the man at the center of the investigation surrounding the deaths of singer/actress Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew, has been arrested.
Balfour, Hudson’s estranged brother-in-law, was formally charged with three counts of murder in connection with the slayings, after his arrest on Monday (December 1) at Stateville Correctional Center.
The 27-year-old felon was served with an arrest warrant and released to Chicago police detectives following a stint at the Illinois Department of Corrections for a suspected parole violation, according to Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond.
Balfour’s arrest is the latest development following the shooting deaths of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, brother, Jason Hudson, and nephew Julian King.
Authorities discovered the bodies of Donerson and Jason Hudson October 24 at the family’s home on the South Side of Chicago.
Balfour, who was apprehended by police the same day, was taken to the Illinois Department of Corrections for the parole violation two days later.
Julian King’s body was found October 27 in a sport utility vehicle located on the city’s West Side.
Balfour, the 7-year-old’s stepfather, previously served seven years for a 1999 attempted murder and vehicular hijacking conviction.
He is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s older sister, Julia Hudson.
Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state attorney's office, noted that Balfour was identified only as a “person of interest” until his arrest on Monday and had not been charged by late Monday afternoon.
Since being taken in as a potential suspect in the Hudson family murders, Balfour has maintained a tense relationship with authorities as he refused to take a lie detector test and cooperate with detectives assigned to the case.
Balfour’s mother, Michelle Balfour, has stood by her son throughout the investigation while denying that he had anything to do with the deaths.
During a hearing in November, Balfour's girlfriend told authorities that a gun used in the slayings was "identical" to the gun that was recovered.
As a result, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board board opted to keep Balfour in custody pending a review board panel hearing on Wednesday (December 3).