IL AMBER Alert: Julian King
- Amber Alert Issued for: Illinois – Statewide
- Victim: Julian King
- Julian is a 7-year-old Black male with black hair and brown eyes. He is 4?11? tall and weighs 130lbs. When last seen Julian was wearing a brown polo shirt with stripes and khaki pants.
- Suspect: Unknown
- Suspect Description: Unknown
- Suspect Vehicle 1
- White Chevrolet Suburban with IL License X584859
- Suspect Vehicle 2
- Teal/Green Chrysler Concord four-door with a left front headlight hanging out that is scratched all along its left side with temporary tags of 332K823.
- Circumstances
An Illinois AMBER Alert was activated this afternoon after police found the bodies of two persons in a Chicago home. Police were called to the home by a family member who found the first body; when police arrived they found the second body in a bedroom. Both victims died from gunshot wounds. The child who is missing, 7-year-old Julian King is believed to be the grandson of the female victim. The victims were identified as Darnell Hudson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, both of the same residence in the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue. Darnell Hudson (sometimes referred to as Darnell Donerson), is the mother of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson. Jason Hudson is Jennifer’s brother. The missing child, Julian King is Jennifer’s nephew.
Police have a suspect in custody and he is being questioned. However, they did not locate the missing child with the suspect.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call 9-1-1 telling the dispatcher you have an AMBER Alert report.
- October 26, 2008
- There is still no sign of Julian King. The FBI joined the search on Saturday and a $100,000 reward was offered today by Jennifer Hudson and other family members. Julian’s mother, Julia Hudson, and his biological father made a public plea for his safe return.
Julian’s stepfather and estranged husband of Julia Hudson, William Balfour was taken into custody on Friday night afternoon at the home of his pregnant girlfriend. At first police named him a suspect but after questioning they told the press he is not considered a suspect; he is considered a person of interest in the kidnapping.William Balfour remains in custody and was transferred to a state prison facility after police found him in violation of conditions of parole from a 1999 conviction for attempted murder – he served seven years in state prison for that conviction and was released in 2006. Police say Balfour was originally willing to talk but after awhile he stopped talking. According to reports from police there were discrepancies in Balfour’s alibi regarding his whereabouts on the day of the crime with his girlfriend contradicting his story. Also, Hudson family members have said that Balfour had recently threatened to take Julian away.
William Balfour’s mother, Michele, professes her son’s innocence and claims her loved Julian’s grandmother more than he loved his own mother. Well, time will tell. I sure hope Julian is found safe. Police went back to the home on Saturday to search for him thinking maybe he was hiding somewhere on the property because he was frightened.
- October 27, 2008
- Police received a phone call this morning regarding a suspicious vehicle in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue. When they arrived on the scene it was determined to be the white Chevy Suburban that had been taken from the Hudson residence on the day of the shooting. Inside the vehicle was the body of a child believed to be 7-year-old Julian King. The coroner’s office is working this morning to confirm the identity. Police tend to believe this is Julian King because they say they did find bullet casings in his bedroom during the course of the investigation.
This poor little guy. My condolences go out to his family
- 7p.m. PST
- The identity of the boy’s body found in the Chevy Suburban found abandoned on a west Chicago street was positively identified as that of Julian King. The identification was believed to be made by Hudson family members at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Police say Julian was shot to death several times while he sat in the back seat of the SUV. Police are checking the clothing of a man they have in custody (I am thinking William Balfour) for gun shot residue. The SUV was located 2.5 miles away from the apartment of Balfour’s girlfriend where he was taken into custody Friday night.
- November 7, 2008
- A parole hearing is set for Monday to decide if authorities have enough evidence to hold him on the parole violation.
From www.chicagobreakingnews.com:
The hearing before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board is scheduled to be held Monday morning at Stateville Correctional Center, prison officials said. Balfour has not been charged with a crime, but police have developed several pieces of information tying him to the crime scene at the Hudson family South Side home on Oct. 24., the day that the Oscar-winning actress’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were killed.
Balfour could be released after the hearing if the parole board decides in his favor.
By all accounts William Balfour should already be back in prison for having been arrested this past summer for possession of cocaine. The charges were eventually dropped and his parole officer decided to not revoke his parole but to ‘supervise him more closely’. On the day of the murders William Balfour missed his scheduled visit with his parole officer. When contacted later that day by phone by his parole officer Balfour told him he was babysitting and that was why he missed his appointment. So much for the closer supervision.
- November 10, 2008
- William Balfour will remain in prison the Illinois Prisoner Review Board ruled today based on information that places the murder weapon in his possession. The source of that information is Balfour’s girlfriend, Shonta Cathey, who said she saw Balfour with the gun that matches the murder weapon. Also, during interrogation William Balfour admitted being at the murder scene on the morning of the murders. Just for good measure the parole board also threw in a violation of parole charge stemming from his June drug arrest. At the time of that arrest the decision was made to not violate him on his parole. William Balfour, not represented by counsel, objected to the information presented during the hearing.
A full parole hearing is scheduled for December 3.
- December 1, 2008
- William Balfour, the step-father of murdered child Julian King, was served with an arrest warrant accusing him of the shooting deaths of his mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and 7-year-old stepson. Balfour was being held on a parole violation at Stateville Correctional Center since the shooting. Another parole hearing was scheduled for December 3, but I guess with the serving of the arrest warrant there is no need for the parole hearing. After serving Balfour with the arrest warrant he was moved to another facility. As of this evening he had not been formally charged. Balfour’s attorney, Joshua Kutnick, maintains his client is innocent of the charges and the police do not have enough evidence to prove his client’s guilt. Balfour’s mother also insists on her son’s innocence.
Angela Rozaz, David Heinzmann, James Janega, Robert Mitchum, and Jeremy Gorner, Source: Hudson Suspect in Custody; Boy Still Missing, Chicago Tribune, October 25, 2008.
Emily Achenbaum, Angela Rosaz, Jeff Long, Jennifer Hudson Offers $100K for Nephew’s Return, Chicago Tribune, October 26, 2008.
Chicago Tribune Team Report, Jennifer Hudson’s Nephew Julian King: Sweet, Gentle, Loved, WGN-TV.com, October 27, 2008.
David Heinzman, Hudson Suspect Won’t be Released from Custody, Chicago Breaking News.com, November 10, 2008.
Don Babwin, Associated Press, Estranged Relative Arrested in Hudson Killings, Detroit Free Press, December 1, 2008.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
