Jennifer Hudson testifies at family murder trial

Jennifer Hudson took the stand as the first witness in the trial of the man accused of killing three members of her family, including her mother, in 2008 in Chicago yesterday (April 23). The Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer and actress testified that she had known William Balfour, who is charged with shooting dead her mother Darnell Donerson, 57, her brother Jason Hudson, 29, and her nephew Julian King, 7, since they were in middle school together but never liked him. It is alleged that Balfour, who was the estranged estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, shot the three in a jealous rage. Prosecutors alleged that Balfour, also 30, who pleaded not guilty, acted out of spite after his estranged wife, the mother of Julian King, told him she wanted a divorce.

Hudson was apparently ‘chocking back tears’ as she testified against Balfour. AFP states that Hudson’s testimony did not offer much insight into the murders, but “painted a picture of a close-knit family torn apart by a violent crime.” She recalled how, after a frantic telephone call from her sister, she flew immediately to Chicago to identify the remains of her mother and brother and to post a $100,000 reward for her then-missing nephew. The youngster was found shot dead and covered with a shower curtain three days later in the back of a stolen vehicle.

Her sister Julia Hudson testified on Monday that her husband became jealous when she got gifts from other people, and was jealous even of her son, telling Julian not to kiss her. His nickname for Julian, a second grader getting straight A’s in school, was “the little monster,” she said. She separated from William Balfour in February 2008, Julia Hudson said, and three months later he begged her to come back. When she said she could not, Balfour said he would kill her family, she testified.

“If you leave me, you’ll be the last to die,” Julia Hudson said Balfour told her. “I’m going to kill your family first.”

Jennifer Hudson, who released her second studio album I Remember Me in March 2011, and sang “I Will Always Love You” in memory of the late Whitney Houston at this year’s Grammy awards, is expected to attend the entire trial.

Source: Reuters