Jennifer Hudson's Mother, Brother Found Shot Dead

Zap2It.com | October 24, 2008

Jennifer Hudson

Suspect in custody, police still looking for Oscar winner's 7-year-old nephew

LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" finalist and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found dead in her mother's Chicago home on Friday afternoon, according to news sources.

Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, and her 29-year-old son Jason had been shot to death. Police say there were no signs of forced entry and that the murders appear to have been the result of a domestic dispute. Neighbors say that they heard shots fired on Friday morning, but the bodies weren't found by a family member until that afternoon.

Police are currently looking for Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, who police believe were in the house at the time of the shootings. The boy's mother, Jennifer's sister Julia, reported him missing on Friday afternoon.

Late Friday word came that the police have a suspect in custody although Julian has yet to be found. The suspect's identity hasn't been confirmed by police, but other reports have the suspect as William Balfour, the husband of Julia, who is currently on parole after serving seven years for attempted murder. Within the past year he has listed Donerson's address as his place of residence.

Hudson -- who can currently be seen in "The Secret Life of Bees" -- won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls." She became engaged last month on her 27th birthday to David Otunga, better known as "Punk" from the second season of the reality dating show "I Love New York."