Jennifer Hudson's nephew identified

Oct 28, 2008, 10:25 GMT

A woman pauses to place flowers on a memorial outside the childhood home of Academy Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson in Chicago, Illinois, USA 27 October 2008. Hudson\'s mother, 57 year old Darnel Donerson, and her older brother Jason Hudson were found shot to death in the home 24 October. Now nephew Julian King is identified as the third victim. EPA/TANNEN MAURY

Jennifer Hudson's nephew was found dead in "the rear seat" of a car yesterday (27.10.08).

Julian King - the seven-year-old son of Jennifer's sister Julia - was discovered in the back of a white Chevrolet Suburban SUV (sports utility vehicle) in Chicago's West Side District early yesterday morning, Superintendent Jody Weis of the Chicago Police Department confirmed.

It has been reported Julian had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Jennifer had offered a $100,000 reward for the safe return of her nephew - who had been missing since Friday (24.10.08), the same day her mother Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother Jason Hudson, 29, were shot dead at their Chicago home - and issued an appeal for help in locating his whereabouts.

Jennifer officially identified the body along with other members of the Hudson family on Monday afternoon.

Mourners later organised an "impromptu" vigil outside the actress' family house in Chicago, and left teddy bears and flowers as a tribute to the deceased.

Jennifer's brother-in-law William Balfour - her sister Julia's estranged husband - is currently in custody being questioned about the triple-murder.

At the time of writing, police had confirmed 27-year-old William, who served seven years in prison for attempted murder and carjacking in 1999, was being questioned in relation to the killings.

After reportedly refusing to cooperate with police, William - who is not the boy's father - is now being held for a parole violation but has yet to be charged with a crime.

William's alibi for the day of the murders is said to have been contradicted by his girlfriend.

However, Superintendent Weis said he was "pretty optimistic" about finding the killer, adding: "Often there's lots of evidence left at a crime scene so I'm very confident that our forensic technicians will go through both areas with a fine-toothed comb, and I suspect there will be some evidence that will link us to the killer."

Referring to William's connection to the case, Weis said: "We are following any lead that we can get right now. He's a person of interest, but that's not to say that there's not other individuals that may turn up. Right now we are just following the facts we have and we are following the evidence we have."