Nearly four years after singer and actress Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother, and nephew were killed, the suspect, William Balfour, was finally sentenced on Tuesday, receiving three life sentences without the possibility of parole and 120 years, according to Penny Mateck of the Cook County Sheriff’s office. In a statement, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said, “This significant sentence is appropriate given the heinous and inhumane nature of these crimes which demanded the full force of justice.”
Balfour, 27, was found guilty in May on three counts of first-degree murder and four other counts related to the deaths of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, 57; her brother, Jason Hudson, 29; and her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King. Balfour was accused of fatally shooting the Oscar winner’s mother and brother in their Chicago home in October 2008. The 7-year-old’s body was found three days later in an abandoned SUV. Balfour was portrayed by prosecutors as a jealous man who murdered the three family members in rage at the thought that his wife, Hudson’s sister, had a boyfriend. In an interview with CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” earlier this year, the “American Idol” contestant spoke of her mother. She said, “My mother was a very wise and strong person. I feel like she raised us well, and she prepared me well, and so that’s what I live by.”
