Body found in SUV linked to Hudson case

7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress hasn't been seen since Friday

updated 37 minutes ago

CHICAGO
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UPDATE: Police have now identified the body found this morning as that of seven-year-old Julian King, the son of Julia King and only nephew of actor Jennifer Hudson. The clip below is of that announcement made just a few minutes ago.


Police searching for Jennifer Hudson’s missing 7-year-old nephew
found the body of a young black boy in an SUV Monday. There was no
confirmation on the identity of the body.

Hudson’s
nephew, Julian King, hasn’t been seen since Friday, when Hudson’s
mother and brother were found shot to death in their home. Police
issued an Amber Alert for Julian, who lived in the home, and were
looking for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban.

The
body was found in a white SUV on the city’s West Side Monday. It was
towed away with the body still inside. Police refused to comment.
Hudson, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for
her role in “Dreamgirls,” was in Chicago during the weekend. The
medical examiner’s office confirmed Hudson identified the bodies of her
mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson.
The deaths were ruled homicides.

Hudson, 27, offered a $100,000 reward for the safe return of her nephew, who is the son of her sister, Julia Hudson.

The
An Amber Alert listed William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia
Hudson, as a suspect in a “double homicide investigation.” Balfour, 27,
has not been charged in the slayings. He is not the boy’s father.

Police said they did not have a motive for the killings but called the case “domestic related.”

Balfour
was taken into custody Friday by Chicago police for questioning in the
killings. On Sunday, he was transferred to the Illinois Department of
Corrections “based on his active parole violation unrelated to this
investigation.

Records from the Corrections Department show Balfour is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said Balfour would probably remain in state custody until the Illinois Prisoner Review Board looked at his case. She would not say where Balfour was being held.

It was unclear whether Balfour had an attorney Sunday, but his mother, Michele Balfour, has denied he was involved in the killings or in Julian’s disappearance.

Hudson appealed to the public for help, offering the reward and asking any information be given to Chicago police.

“Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian,” she said in a statement.