Jennifer Hudson's Mother Found Dead in Double Homicide at Family Home

[CowboyPrincess]

Jennifer Hudson's Mother Found Dead in Double Homicide at Family Home

Friday , October 24, 2008

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CHICAGO —
A man and woman were found shot to death Friday at the Chicago home of actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, police say, and multiple news outlets have reported that one of the victims is Hudson's mother.

MyFOXChicago is reporting the second body is that of Hudson's brother.

Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond says the deaths appear to be the result of domestic abuse and also issued an Amber Alert.

Authorities were looking for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban missing from the area around the home with 7-year-old Julian King inside, Bond said. The child was also possibly a relative of Hudson, she said.

Calls to Hudson's representative and attorney were not immediately returned.

The Cook County medical examiner's office says officials were dispatched Friday afternoon to the house.

Police tape blocks access to the large, white house, where a crowd has gathered outside.

Public listings show a Jennifer Hudson and Darnell Donerson registered at the address. Hudson grew up in Chicago and her mother's name is Darnell Donerson.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Click here to read more ont his story from MyFOXChicago.com.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I've been following this story on a gossip site and this stuff is pretty sad.

Her brother was the other person killed and her nephew (sister's son) was kidnapped...and a ransom has been demanded.

Just sad...

 

[MrMom]

Horrible and tragic. I'm in the Chicagoland area, so this is huge news here.

Here's a bit more up to date article.

Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother slain in Chicago

By RUPA SHENOY – 36 minutes ago

CHICAGO (AP) — The mother and brother of Jennifer Hudson were found shot dead Friday at a South Side home, and police were looking for a missing child who is the nephew of the singer and Oscar-winning actress.

"We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson," Hudson's personal publicist, Lisa Kasteler, said in a statement. "No further comment will be made and the family has asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time."

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the deaths appeared to be the result of domestic abuse. The Cook County medical examiner's office said autopsies for Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were pending.

Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson said a family member entered the home around 3 p.m. Friday, found a woman shot on the living room floor and left to notify authorities. Responding officers found a man shot in the bedroom, Patterson said. There was no sign of forced entry.

Police tape blocked access to the large, white house, where a crowd gathered outside.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for 7-year-old Julian King and were seeking a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban. The child was the grandson of the female victim, Patterson said.

The alert said the child was possibly abducted and could be accompanied by a man named William Balfour — considered armed and dangerous — who was a suspect in the double homicide investigation. Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, who has not been charged with a crime, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

The two could also be in a teal or green Chrysler Concorde with a temporary license plate, a left front headlight hanging out and scratches on the left side of the vehicle, police said.

The tragedy comes as Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, continues to reach new heights in her career. Her song "Spotlight" is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled debut album has been a top seller. She was featured in this year's blockbuster "Sex and the City" movie and is also starring in the hit film "The Secret Life of Bees."

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls." In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for "American Idol," which launched her career.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

"My faith in God and my family, they're very realistic and very normal, they're not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that's just another place that's home," she said. "I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I'm just Jennifer, (so she says), 'You get up and you take care of your own stuff.' And I love that; I don't like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean."

Hudson recently announced her engagement to David Otunga, best known for his stint on VH1's reality show "I Love New York."

Hudson's representatives would not disclose her whereabouts Friday. She had been scheduled to appear Monday in Los Angeles to collect an ensemble cast honor at the Hollywood Awards for "The Secret Life of Bees" with co-stars including Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning.

 

[MrMom]

UPDATE 11:26 PM ET: The suspect, William Balfour, has been taken into custody. Hudson's newphew, 7-year-old Julian King is still missing, according to the FOX station in Chicago. Balfour is refusing to cooperate with cops or supply info.