Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― William Balfour was charged Tuesday with the murders of actress Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and young nephew. He was arrested Monday afternoon at Stateville Correctional Center where he had been held for more than a month on parole violations.

Balfour, 27, is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia Hudson. Chicago police said the incident was domestic-related between Balfour and Julia Hudson. Authorities added Tuesday afternoon that it does not appear that any other offenders were involved, but that could change.

"It was a domestic between him and his former wife and that's as far as we can go," said Deputy Supt. Steve Peterson.

As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, Balfour's attorney says Balfour denies any involvement in the murders. At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said Balfour has not confessed to the murders.

But the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday morning that Balfour admitted to a witness that he had been responsible for the shootings.

Outside of the Hudson home on Tuesday, there was no evidence of the murders. Police tape and the makeshift memorial were cleared.

"I'm just happy they got somebody. They thought it was him. They got somebody good," neighbor Kent Williams said.

There was no official word from the Hudson family Tuesday, but police talked to them.

"They were relieved and happy that Chicago Police were able to bring this case to a successful conclusion," Weis said.

Police won't say what physical evidence links Balfour to the crime, but they indicated that the gun used in all three shootings was linked to Balfour. The .45-caliber wewapon was discovered two blocks from where the body of Hudson's nephew was found in an SUV. According to published reports, one of Balfour's girlfriends told police she saw Balfour carrying a .45 that looked like the murder weapon.

Lynette Loudon, the neighbor who told police where to find the SUV, said she is a big Jennifer Hudson fan.

"I just want them to have closure so they can get on with their life. That's what they really need," Lynette Loudon said.

Balfour's mother, Michelle Balfour of Chicago, went to the Wentworth Area Headquarters on Monday night. She has denied that her son had anything to do with the deaths, and said she thought her son could be released from the Statesville Correctional Center at a parole hearing on Wednesday. But instead, Chicago Police served an arrest warrant for him Monday afternoon.

"Under no circumstances did my son do this," Michelle Balfour said. "They brought him from Stateville two days before it was time for him to be released. (His girlfriend) Shonta Cathey has a pending drug case with the Chicago Police Department. She made a deal with the state's attorney in order to have my son brought back up here to be convicted on a gun charge or this murder."

The bodies of Donerson and Jason Hudson were discovered Oct. 24 at the family's home. Julian King's body was found three days later in a sport-utility vehicle on the city's West Side. All three had been shot.

Police took Balfour into custody the same day the bodies of Donerson and Hudson were discovered. After 48 hours -- the longest Chicago police can hold a person without charges -- Balfour was taken by the Illinois Department of Corrections on a parole violation.

Balfour served seven years for a 1999 attempted murder and vehicular hijacking conviction.

Balfour had refused to take a lie-detector test and stopped cooperating with detectives in the case, a police official, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, has said.

CBS 2's Joanie Lum and Dorothy Tucker and the Associated Press and STNG Wire contributed to this report.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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