William Balfour THREATENED To HARM `Hudson Family

by **J The Kidd** Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:02 pm

William Balfour, the person whom prosecutors believe murdered the family members of singer Jennifer Hudson out of anger over his estranged wife Julia Hudson (Jennifer's older sister) dating another man, was denied bail on Wednesday.

At a hearing Wednesday, a Cook County prosecutor said Balfour came to the family's home the morning of the Oct. 24 killings and confronted Julia Hudson, saying he would "harm" her family if she continued seeing the other man.

The prosecutor says Balfour and Julia Hudson left together but Balfour returned to the home, and the bodies of Hudson's mother and brother were discovered there later that day. The body of Julia Hudson's 7-year-old son was found in an SUV three days later.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, prosecutors also refuted a number of statements that Balfour made to police, among them:

• Balfour told detectives that he was home at the time of the shootings, but cell phone records showed he was in the vicinity of the Hudson family home.

• Balfour told police that after he had earlier been to the Hudson home to talk with his estranged wife, he had taken a CTA "L" train to his West Side home. But CTA card records show that Balfour had last used the card two days before. Also, Balfour had claimed to have used a particular "L" station, but surveillance cameras showed he had not been there.

• Balfour denied having a gun, but multiple witnesses said they saw him with one or heard him say he had one. The gun used in the slayings had belonged to Jason Hudson and Balfour had taken it without permission from Hudson's bedroom over the summer, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors also stated the previously undisclosed fact that gunshot residue was found on the steering wheel of Balfour's car, which, authorities said, he had driven that morning to the Hudson home and later moved after the murders, as reported by Eurweb.com.

Balfour's attorney, Joshua Kutnick, claims the 27-year-old is innocent and has called the prosecution's case against his client "weak."

Kutnick told Judge Raymond Myles Wednesday that there were no witnesses to the slayings and no connection between Balfour and the weapon that was believed to have been used in the shootings.

"Thus far it is my impression and William's impression that he has been painted as guilty in this case," Kutnick said. "And that is untrue and unfortunate. We implore the public to keep an open mind."