Julian King

Chicago police confirmed they have found the gun used in the killings of the mother, brother and nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. The .45-caliber gun was discovered Wednesday in a vacant lot in the neighborhood where the body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found a few days earlier inside an SUV. The bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered in the family's home...

When Jennifer Hudson took the stand Monday in the trial of the man charged with killing her mother, brother and nephew, she was in a well-accustomed arena: center stage. And, as the first witness for the prosecution, the Academy Award-winning actress delivered a teary, riveting performance. But Hudson was in the audience on Tuesday, and the evidentiary phase of the trial began in earnest, with Chicago police Sgt. David Dowling describing the gruesome scene when he found the bodies.

Actress Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law was charged Tuesday in Chicago with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion in the deaths of three members of Hudson's family. William Balfour, 27, is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing today. Balfour has been the prime suspect since the bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered in their Chicago home Oct. 24. Hudson's nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, was found days later, shot to death in an SUV.

Jennifer Hudson, whose voice and upbeat persona paved her way to fame on television, in the movies and even as a spokeswoman fighting excess weight, reportedly broke down in tears Monday as she took the stand in the trial of a man accused of killing three of her relatives. Dressed in black with hair pulled demurely back, Hudson, who has won a Grammy for her singing, spoke so softly that Judge Charles Burns at one point gently asked her to speak up, according to media accounts.

Mourners in Jennifer Hudson's childhood church listened as the second-grade teacher of the entertainer's slain nephew read aloud from journals written by his classmates -- including one who lamented that Julian King didn't live long enough to become president. Friends and relatives gathered for the memorial service at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church on the city's South Side to listen to spiritual songs and reminisce about Julian, as well as Hudson's mother and brother, who were found shot to death last month.

In her first statement since burying her slain mother, brother and nephew, Jennifer Hudson thanked her fans for their encouragement during the tragic ordeal. "I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," the 27-year-old Oscar-winning actress and singer said in a posting on her MySpace page Thursday evening. "My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your love and concern." Last week, Hudson buried her mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson; her brother, Jason Hudson, 29; and her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.

Jennifer Hudson, whose voice and upbeat persona paved her way to fame on television, in the movies and even as a spokeswoman fighting excess weight, reportedly broke down in tears Monday as she took the stand in the trial of a man accused of killing three of her relatives. Dressed in black with hair pulled demurely back, Hudson, who has won a Grammy for her singing, spoke so softly that Judge Charles Burns at one point gently asked her to speak up, according to media accounts.

When Jennifer Hudson took the stand Monday in the trial of the man charged with killing her mother, brother and nephew, she was in a well-accustomed arena: center stage. And, as the first witness for the prosecution, the Academy Award-winning actress delivered a teary, riveting performance. But Hudson was in the audience on Tuesday, and the evidentiary phase of the trial began in earnest, with Chicago police Sgt. David Dowling describing the gruesome scene when he found the bodies.

Chicago police asked the FBI on Saturday to help find the missing 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson after her mother and brother were found shot to death in her childhood home a day earlier. Julian King -- the son of Julia Hudson, Jennifer's sister -- has been missing since Friday, when his grandmother Darnell Donerson, 57, and uncle Jason Hudson, 29, were found dead in Donerson's South Side home. "Let my baby go," Julia Hudson told reporters.

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew was found dead in the back of an SUV on Monday, ending a frantic search that began after the shooting deaths of her mother and brother three days earlier. The singer and actress was among seven family members and close friends who cried and held hands as they identified Julian King's body from a live image on a television screen at the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Actress Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law was charged Tuesday in Chicago with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion in the deaths of three members of Hudson's family. William Balfour, 27, is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing today. Balfour has been the prime suspect since the bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered in their Chicago home Oct. 24. Hudson's nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, was found days later, shot to death in an SUV.

In her first statement since burying her slain mother, brother and nephew, Jennifer Hudson thanked her fans for their encouragement during the tragic ordeal. "I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," the 27-year-old Oscar-winning actress and singer said in a posting on her MySpace page Thursday evening. "My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your love and concern." Last week, Hudson buried her mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson; her brother, Jason Hudson, 29; and her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.

Mourners in Jennifer Hudson's childhood church listened as the second-grade teacher of the entertainer's slain nephew read aloud from journals written by his classmates -- including one who lamented that Julian King didn't live long enough to become president. Friends and relatives gathered for the memorial service at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church on the city's South Side to listen to spiritual songs and reminisce about Julian, as well as Hudson's mother and brother, who were found shot to death last month.

Chicago police confirmed they have found the gun used in the killings of the mother, brother and nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. The .45-caliber gun was discovered Wednesday in a vacant lot in the neighborhood where the body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found a few days earlier inside an SUV. The bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered in the family's home...

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew was found dead in the back of an SUV on Monday, ending a frantic search that began after the shooting deaths of her mother and brother three days earlier. The singer and actress was among seven family members and close friends who cried and held hands as they identified Julian King's body from a live image on a television screen at the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Chicago police asked the FBI on Saturday to help find the missing 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson after her mother and brother were found shot to death in her childhood home a day earlier. Julian King -- the son of Julia Hudson, Jennifer's sister -- has been missing since Friday, when his grandmother Darnell Donerson, 57, and uncle Jason Hudson, 29, were found dead in Donerson's South Side home. "Let my baby go," Julia Hudson told reporters.

William Balfour was convicted Friday of killing the mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew of pop star and award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. The verdict was returned by a Chicago jury of six men and six women who began deliberations Wednesday. Balfour, Hudson's former brother-in-law, had pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the 2008 slayings. The charges carry a mandatory penalty of life in prison. Prosecutors alleged that Balfour, 30, was upset that his estranged wife -- Hudson's sister, Julia --  had begun seeing another man and wanted a divorce.

Detectives believe the 7-year-old nephew of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson was probably shot in the sport utility vehicle where his body was later found, a police official said Thursday. Police think Julian King was alive when he left the house where his uncle and grandmother were killed last week, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official would not discuss when detectives think the boy died.