Birthday gift motivated Balfour to murder Hudsons

Washington (ANI): The murder of American actress Jennifer Hudson's family members has been seen as a tragic affair, with the reason behind them said to have been caused by a gift. Hudson's sister Julia had celebrated her 31st birthday on October 23 and had held a small party at home, reports People magazine. The next morning Julia's estranged husband William Balfour arrived at the house and spotted a gift he believed to have been given to his ex-wife by another man and warned her again about seeing someone else, according to the police. Prosecutors allege that the gift brought on jealousy and motivated 27-year-old Balfour to return to the house after Julia had left for work, shoot her mother Darnell Donerson, 57, brother Jason, 29, and to take 7-year-old Julian King, and later kill him as well.

The Hudson family members were 'relieved and happy' after Balfour was charged December 2 with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion, said Chicago Police Deputy Superintendent Steve Patterson. "Those family members assisted every step of the way under very stressful and painful circumstances," added police Superintendent Jody Weis.