William Balfour was born in Chicago, Illinois, and spent much of his early life involved in criminal activities. By the age of 27, he had already served nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Upon his release, he was on parole and faced multiple challenges integrating back into society. At one point, he lived at the same home where his estranged wife’s mother and brother would later be tragically murdered. His volatile personality and troubled history with crime would eventually lead to one of the most devastating family tragedies involving singer Jennifer Hudson.

On October 24, 2008, the bodies of 57-year-old Darnell Donerson and 29-year-old Jason Hudson were discovered in their family home in Chicago. Both had been shot to death. Julian King, the seven-year-old son of Julia Hudson, Jennifer Hudson’s sister, was reported missing. An AMBER Alert was issued, but three days later, Julian’s body was found in an abandoned vehicle on Chicago’s West Side. The autopsy revealed he had died from multiple gunshot wounds. A pistol discovered in a nearby vacant lot was confirmed as the murder weapon.

The investigation quickly turned to William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia Hudson. Authorities noted that Balfour had a history of violent behavior and was living on parole. He was taken into custody on the day of the murders and held for 48 hours, during which he reportedly confessed. Investigators also learned from a witness, believed to be Balfour’s current or former girlfriend, that she had seen him with a gun matching the murder weapon days before the incident. She further claimed that Balfour admitted to being involved in the killings.

Balfour allegedly committed the murders out of jealousy and rage, believing that his estranged wife, Julia, was seeing another man. On December 1, 2008, Balfour was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony home invasion. At a court hearing, prosecutors argued that Balfour’s anger and possessiveness over Julia Hudson were motives for the crime. Balfour’s attorney, however, maintained his client’s innocence.

In December 2008, a grand jury indicted Balfour, and by January 2009, he pleaded not guilty to all charges. After years of legal proceedings, Balfour was convicted in May 2012 on all counts. He was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 120 years for his other crimes.