Investigators were working today to identify the body of a child found in a car on Chicago's West Side, while family members of Oscar-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson assumed the worst--that this was her missing nephew. Click Here For More...
The body was found in the white Chevrolet Suburban that police were looking for in their search for 7-year-old Julian King, three days after the bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the mother's house in Englewood.
Hudson family members were expected at the medical examiner's office this afternoon to identify the body.
Police arrived at the Suburban with Illinois license plate X584859 before 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue, after receiving a call of a suspicious vehicle.
Video
Related links
Reports from the scene, beyond Video
Get the latest on the Hudson case from the Chicago Breaking News Center
On the scene of the Hudson investigation Photos
Jennifer Hudson's recent appearances Photos
7000 block of South Yale Graphic
Jennifer Hudson case: Timeline of slayings, investigation
In tragedy, artists find inspiration, despair
Hudson family home a magnet for fans, neighbors and curiosity seekers
Julia Hudson: 'Just let my baby go'
Star rose in Englewood
Hudson's career took off, but her family kept her grounded
From WGN: Video from the scene
Jennifer Hudson: Performances and Appearances Youtube Video Gallery
It was found by a 75-year-old who lives on the block, John Louden. He said he has lived on the block for 18 years and worried about people selling drugs in the abandoned building behind it. He saw the SUV while walking his dog. After a double-take, he realized the license plate matched the one police were looking for.
"I didn't look in there. I didn't touch it. I knew it was a strange vehicle," Louden said. He said police showed up in about five minutes after his wife called them. They discovered the child inside. The body was removed and the SUV was towed away for evidence processing. "I feel bad about that baby," Louden said.
If the boy is identified as Julian King, it will confirm detectives' worst fears because a law enforcement source said bullet casings were found in the boy's room on Friday. But the source said they had not found other evidence of violence in the room.
As the car was processed by evidence technicians and workers at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office sought to identify the body, Hudson's family members and supporters assumed this was the third member of her family killed since Friday.
"It's shocking. It's unreal. We had been praying that it would not come to this," said Rev. Krista Alston, a cousin of Hudson and a minister at the Pleasant Gift Baptist Church in Chicago. "We know it's a reality now, but it's still shocking."
Police found the bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, on Friday afternoon after a family member came to their home in the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue and saw signs of violence inside. The murders was missing sparked a manhunt for Balfour and a search for 7-year-old Julian King.
Balfour was brought in for questioning Friday night.
The boy remained missing through a long weekend in which police and volunteers posted fliers around the city with pictures of the boy. On Sunday, his actress aunt--grieving and rushing to Chicago from Florida where she was promoting a film--offering a $100,000 reward to anyone who found the boy.
Chicago police have been interviewing William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of the boy's mother, Julia Hudson. He was initially described by police as a suspect in the investigation.
Police searched Balfour's girlfriend's house for several hours Friday night after taking him into custody. Her home is located about 2.5 miles from where the SUV was found this morning.
Balfour has denied involvement in the killings or the disappearance of the boy, law-enforcement sources said. But at some point, Balfour stopped talking to authorities, sources told the Tribune.
On Sunday morning, Balfour was transferred to a state facility after officials said he violated conditions of parole for a 1999 conviction for attempted murder. On Sunday, Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said Balfour violated his parole because he is a suspect in the slayings and the boy's disappearance.
According to law-enforcement sources, Balfour's alibi the day of the killings has been contradicted by his girlfriend. Police searched Balfour's girlfriend's house for several hours Friday night after taking him into custody. Her home is located about 2.5 miles from where the SUV was found this morning.
Balfour and Julia Hudson had been separated for some time, his family members said. A family friend said Balfour recently had threatened to take Julian away.
A family member of the girlfriend's said police have interviewed her. Police also tracked Balfour's whereabouts Friday through his cell phone, sources said.
The body was found in the white Chevrolet Suburban that police were looking for in their search for 7-year-old Julian King, three days after the bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the mother's house in Englewood.
Hudson family members were expected at the medical examiner's office this afternoon to identify the body.
Police arrived at the Suburban with Illinois license plate X584859 before 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue, after receiving a call of a suspicious vehicle.
Video
Related links
Reports from the scene, beyond Video
Get the latest on the Hudson case from the Chicago Breaking News Center
On the scene of the Hudson investigation Photos
Jennifer Hudson's recent appearances Photos
7000 block of South Yale Graphic
Jennifer Hudson case: Timeline of slayings, investigation
In tragedy, artists find inspiration, despair
Hudson family home a magnet for fans, neighbors and curiosity seekers
Julia Hudson: 'Just let my baby go'
Star rose in Englewood
Hudson's career took off, but her family kept her grounded
From WGN: Video from the scene
Jennifer Hudson: Performances and Appearances Youtube Video Gallery
It was found by a 75-year-old who lives on the block, John Louden. He said he has lived on the block for 18 years and worried about people selling drugs in the abandoned building behind it. He saw the SUV while walking his dog. After a double-take, he realized the license plate matched the one police were looking for.
"I didn't look in there. I didn't touch it. I knew it was a strange vehicle," Louden said. He said police showed up in about five minutes after his wife called them. They discovered the child inside. The body was removed and the SUV was towed away for evidence processing. "I feel bad about that baby," Louden said.
If the boy is identified as Julian King, it will confirm detectives' worst fears because a law enforcement source said bullet casings were found in the boy's room on Friday. But the source said they had not found other evidence of violence in the room.
As the car was processed by evidence technicians and workers at the Cook County Medical Examiner's office sought to identify the body, Hudson's family members and supporters assumed this was the third member of her family killed since Friday.
"It's shocking. It's unreal. We had been praying that it would not come to this," said Rev. Krista Alston, a cousin of Hudson and a minister at the Pleasant Gift Baptist Church in Chicago. "We know it's a reality now, but it's still shocking."
Police found the bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, on Friday afternoon after a family member came to their home in the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue and saw signs of violence inside. The murders was missing sparked a manhunt for Balfour and a search for 7-year-old Julian King.
Balfour was brought in for questioning Friday night.
The boy remained missing through a long weekend in which police and volunteers posted fliers around the city with pictures of the boy. On Sunday, his actress aunt--grieving and rushing to Chicago from Florida where she was promoting a film--offering a $100,000 reward to anyone who found the boy.
Chicago police have been interviewing William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of the boy's mother, Julia Hudson. He was initially described by police as a suspect in the investigation.
Police searched Balfour's girlfriend's house for several hours Friday night after taking him into custody. Her home is located about 2.5 miles from where the SUV was found this morning.
Balfour has denied involvement in the killings or the disappearance of the boy, law-enforcement sources said. But at some point, Balfour stopped talking to authorities, sources told the Tribune.
On Sunday morning, Balfour was transferred to a state facility after officials said he violated conditions of parole for a 1999 conviction for attempted murder. On Sunday, Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said Balfour violated his parole because he is a suspect in the slayings and the boy's disappearance.
According to law-enforcement sources, Balfour's alibi the day of the killings has been contradicted by his girlfriend. Police searched Balfour's girlfriend's house for several hours Friday night after taking him into custody. Her home is located about 2.5 miles from where the SUV was found this morning.
Balfour and Julia Hudson had been separated for some time, his family members said. A family friend said Balfour recently had threatened to take Julian away.
A family member of the girlfriend's said police have interviewed her. Police also tracked Balfour's whereabouts Friday through his cell phone, sources said.
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