Jennifer Hudson Family Murder Trial: Opening statements in the trial of William Balfour set to begin
(CBS/AP) CHICAGO - In opening statements Monday, prosecutors are expected to tell jurors a gift of balloons sent Jennifer Hudson's then brother-in-law into such a jealous rage he shot and killed her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew to death. Two of the victims were found dead in the home where the singer and actress grew up.
William Balfour is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the Oct. 24, 2008 slaying.
Prosecutors have said that the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, Balfour believed the balloons he saw at the Hudson home came from Julia Hudson's new boyfriend.
As she drove away from the home for job as a school bus driver, Julia glimpsed Balfour in her mirror still lingering outside, prosecutors have said.
They say Balfour went back inside the three-story house around 9 a.m. and used a .45-caliber handgun to kill Hudson's mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, in the living room, and then shot her 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, twice in the head as he lay in bed.
He allegedly drove off in Jason Hudson's SUV with Julia Hudson's son, Julian King, inside. Authorities say he then shot the boy nicknamed "juice box" in the head as he lay behind a front seat. His body was found in the abandoned vehicle miles away after a three-day search.
There are no known witnesses to the slayings and its unclear what physical evidence exists.
Prosecutors say gunshot residue was found on the steering wheel of Balfour's car. But the defense says it and other evidence is circumstantial.
A gun, which Balfour allegedly stole months before from Hudson's brother, was recovered in a lot near where the SUV was found and will be presented as the murder weapon.
Establishing motive may pose less of a challenge. Balfour, 30, allegedly threatened to kill the Hudson family at least two dozen times, starting earlier in 2008 when he moved out of the house, lead prosecutor James McKay has said.
McKay says that a day before the killings, on Julia Hudson's birthday, Balfour told her, "If you ever leave me, I'm going to kill you, but I'm going to kill your family first." She didn't take him seriously, McKay said, because Balfour hadn't acted on the threats before.
Court records indicate the now 34-year-old Julia Hudson's divorce from Balfour was finalized last year.
If convicted of at least two of the murder counts, Balfour, who on parole at the time of the killings after serving nearly seven years for attempted murder and vehicular hijacking, would face a mandatory life sentence.
Jennifer Hudson's name is among 300 on a list of potential witnesses although it's not certain she will testify. The 2004 "American Idol" finalist and 2007 Oscar winner for her role in "Dreamgirls" is expected to attend each day of testimony, which could last up to a month.
Judge Charles Burns has instructed jurors to set aside any sympathy for Hudson and decide a verdict strictly according to testimony. The panelists include a teacher, a trucker and two people who have had close relatives murdered.
Prosecutors have said Balfour claimed he wasn't near the Hudson home at the time of the killing, but they are expected to introduce cellphone records that allegedly prove he was in the area when two teenage girls who live nearby heard gunshots.
The witnesses didn't immediately report the shots to police because the sound of gunfire isn't uncommon in the impoverished, crime-ridden Englewood neighborhood, according to court filings.
Complete coverage of the Hudson family murders on Crimesider