The estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson’s was arrested yesterday in relation to the October 24th murders of Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

Initially labeled a person of interest, Balfour, 27, was arrested at Stateville Correctional Center and released to detectives where he was formally charged.

He has been moved to the Wentworth Area, where he will be held.

The murder weapon, a 45-caliber gun, was discovered just days after the homicides in a vacant lot.

Balfour is the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia.

He is scheduled for another parole violation hearing on Wednesday.

Although she is grieving the horrific murders of her family this holiday season, Jennifer Hudson has decided to go forward with a new GAP holiday campaign.

Jennifer is featured on one of the companies many holidays ads, sporting a cheerful bright red sweater with a big smile on her face. The tagline reads, Shine Your Own Star.

Gap spokesperson Olive Doyne says the company gave the singer/actress the option of backing out.

“She said she wanted to be a part of it and that we should move forward,” Doyne says. The photo shoot took place last July in New York City, months before the murders took place.

The ad will be featured in magazines, newspapers and on billboards.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the girlfriend of the suspect in the Jennifer Hudson family killings, William Balfour, admitted to her that he did have a hand in the murders.

The girlfriend, who is currently pregnant, told police that Balfour confessed his involvement in the slayings of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson and brother, Jason Hudson, but not the 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.

Balfour, 27, was apprehended at the girlfriend’s apartment the night Darnell and Jason’s bodies were found shot to death.

Julian’s body was discovered a few days later in an SUV.

UPDATE:

Balfour will remained jailed as the investigation continues but still has not been charged with anything. [AFP]

[ET]

The only suspect in the brutal killings of the family of Jennifer Hudson might walk out of jail Monday morning.

William Balfour, ex-husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia, might not be charged with the murders of Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7. All were shot to death on October 24th.

He is being held in jail for parole violation only,

The problem is, if law enforcement cannot prove he has violated his parole they can no longer hold him. UNLESS, he is either found to be in violation of his parole or he is officially charged with the murders. If one of these things does not happen by Monday he will be back walking the streets of Chicago.

Balfour is scheduled to meet with the Illinois State Parole Review Board at 9:00 a.m. Monday.

Hmm..this could be interesting. If he gets out do you think Julia will go running back to him? After what she posted on her MySpace earlier, we know this girl is not playing with a full deck..

[TMZ]

How creepy is this…TMZ visited Julia Hudson’s MySpace page and reported something that I think is a little chilling.

Under one of the photos, she wrote the caption,

“NOW THAT JASON’S GONE I’M THE PRETTIEST ONE”

Zoiks!

Ok, so did a chill just go up your back? It did mine! It sounds like something out of a horror movie, not something a sister would say after half her family had been murdered! WTF!

Is she not all there…or is she seriously that vain? Is she loving the attention she is getting now? Does she liked being talked about? I know people all handle tragedy and death differently, but this is not a normal reaction.

[TMZ]

The funeral for the slain members of Jennifer Hudson’s family was held yesterday, where 2,500 mourners showed up to show their respect at the open coffin service.

Understandably, no media were allowed during the service and only invited guests attended.

Before the service began, Hudson left her second row seat to pay her respects to her murdered family members. She first stopped by 7-year-old Julian’s white coffin, who was dressed in all white. She then moved to her mother and gently touched her then lightly kissed her before moving on to her brother, where she paused before returning to her seat.

Hudson’s fiance and reality star, David “Punk” Otunga, and sister Julia sat with Hudson where they supported one another.

Halfway through the service, Fantasia Barrino, Hudson’s American Idol competition, performed an emotional “Your Grace and Mercy,” while holding Jennifer’s hand and singing directly to her.

Family friend Glover Lewis told the Chicago Tribune, “Jennifer is the pillar. It’s obvious she’s holding the family together.”

Although both he and his mother claim he had no part in the brutal slayings of Jennifer Hudson’s family last week, William ‘Flex’ Balfour will not take a lie detector test.

According to the AP, an anonymous police official says that Balfour was cooperating with police up until he was asked to take a polygraph test.

Balfour still has not been charged with the killings of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, brother, Jason Hudson, 29, and nephew, Julian King, 7, who were all shot to death.

Yesterday a gun was found in some bushes in a vacant lot near where the white SUV was discovered. Police believe it may be the gun used in the murders.

The anonymous official told the AP that police do not believe anyone else was involved in the killings, despite reports stating otherwise.

The source added that someone else may have driven and dropped off the SUV, but that Balfour is “the only suspect in the killings (and there is) nothing to link a second individual” to the crime.

A police spokeswoman declined to comment on the official’s statements.

Balfour is a felon with a prior record of attempted murder, and was busted with cocaine last June.

Ok, maybe I am being a little harsh here, but doesn’t William Balfour, the main suspect in the murders of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew, seem like the type of guy that you would NOT want to bring home to your family – let alone let your child be around?

And it’s not like William is the black sheep of his family or anything. His father is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for murder and his brother served time for drug dealing. William, himself, has served 7 years for attempted murder and carjacking. This past June he was arrested for drugs, but his parole was not revoked. He is also a known member of the Gangster Disciple Street Gang.

I told you guys the other day that Julia’s MySpace had a questionnaire that she filled out and the question, “Of all your friends, who is most likely to end up in jail?” she answered with “William.”

What a great influence on your child, eh? It’s not like she didn’t know. She probably hooked with with the loser after he was released from prison.

Now, let me make it clear that while I am not blaming the murders on Julia Balfour, I can’t help but feel as though she could have avoided this situation had she have been smarter about the sort of people she chose to surround herself, and more specifically her family, with.

Another sad day for Jennifer Hudson and her sister, Julia Balfour.

The women must identify the child’s body believed to be Julia’s son, Julian King, 7.

It has been reported that Julian’s body was discovered in an abandoned white Suburban, shot to death in the back seat.

Police are testing the clothing of William Balfour, Julia’s estranged husband, for gun powder residue.

Hudson family members will be identifying the boy at around 3p.m. today. A police press conference will be held at 4 p.m.

The vehicle was discovered by a 75-year-old, John Louden.

From ChicagoBreakingNews.com:

He [John Louden] 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.”

UPDATE:

The boy believed to be Julian King suffered at least one gunshot wound to the head. [TMZ]

The body has been confirmed to be that of Julian. [ABC]