Breaking News : A handgun found near the Julian King body??

Breaking News : A handgun found near the Julian King body??

Julian King comes across as an adored little boy, hamming it up, on the MySpace pages of his mother, Julia Hudson.A smiling 7-year-old who was big for his age—standing about 5 feet tall and weighing 135 pounds. Enthusiastic about Blue, the dog from Blue's Clues. At Disney World, tenderly hugging Winnie the Pooh.Mostly, what comes across in the photographs is innocence.Round-cheeked and good-natured, Julian preferred reading and hanging out with his grandmother to playing outside, Julia Hudson said in making a plea for the return of the boy, who went by the names "Juicebox" and "Dr. King." She called him a "sensitive child" who "doesn't like to get hollered at."

A handgun found near the body of Jennifer Hudson's nephew is the same one used in the killings of the Oscar winner's family, according to a report. On Wednesday, officers found a .45-caliber handgun among thick weeds in an alley about a block from where 7-year-old Julian King was discovered shot to death inside a Chevy Suburban. The gun was sent to the Illinois State Police crime lab for testing. Unfired bullets in the gun matched shell casings recovered at the house where Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered murdered, sources tell the Chicago Tribune.King was taken from the home and his body was discovered three days later in a neighborhood in another part of town, also shot with a .45, according to the paper. Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond could not be reached for comment Friday. The estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia Hudson, is being held as a "person of interest" in the case. William Balfour, 27, is currently being held on an alleged parole violation stemming from his 1999 conviction on attempted murder and carjacking.

Breaking News : Body found in SUV is Hudson nephew??

Breaking News : Body found in SUV is Hudson nephew??

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981)is an American actress, singer and model. She first gained notice as one of the finalists on the third season of the FOX television series American Idol. She went on to star in the 2006 motion picture Dreamgirls for which she has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA and a SAG Award

A top FBI official said Monday that a body found in an SUV is believed to be that of Jennifer Hudson's missing 7-year-old nephew, the focus of a desperate search since the Oscar winner's mother and brother were found shot to death in their home three days earlier.

While the body has not been positively identified, FBI Deputy Director John S. Pistole said authorities believe it to be that of Julian King, who also lived in the home.

Chicago police said the body of a black male child was found shortly after 7 a.m. in the rear seat of an SUV parked in a neighborhood of brownstone homes and apartment buildings about 10 miles from the family's home. An autopsy was planned for Tuesday.

The vehicle matched the one sought in an Amber Alert issued after Hudson's mother and brother were found slain Friday, police Cmdr. Wayne Gulliford said. The Amber Alert was canceled Monday.

In Washington, Pistole said at a news conference on child exploitation that authorities found a body "who we believe to be the missing victim in Chicago, the nephew of Jennifer Hudson. We are working with Chicago police to get a positive identification of the victim."

Hudson had offered $100,000 Sunday for information leading to Julian's safe return. He is the son of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia Hudson. Telephone and e-mail messages left Monday for Hudson's publicist, who had been releasing statements on behalf of the family, were not answered.

"We're just sad. We're going through this stage where we're just sad and in shock," Hudson's aunt, Dorothy Hudson, said Monday. Dorothy Hudson and her husband, John, own a Chicago funeral home that plans to handle arrangements for the family.

Chicago police have characterized the killings as "domestic related" and have been questioning William Balfour, who is the estranged husband of Julia Hudson and is being held in state custody on a parole violation. Balfour is not the boy's father and has not been charged in the slayings.

Lynette Louden, 47, said she called police about the SUV across the street from her house after her family's Chihuahua started barking at it early Monday. Some neighbors said they hadn't seen the vehicle before Monday, but Louden said it had been there since at least Saturday.

"I only hoped the body wasn't in there," she said. "When they said that it was, I cried."

Balfour, 27, was taken into custody Friday by Chicago police for questioning in the killings. On Sunday, he was transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections, which declined Monday to discuss his parole violation.

Records from the Corrections Department show Balfour is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

Balfour's mother, Michele Balfour, has said Hudson's mother kicked Balfour out of the family home last winter. She denied her son had anything to do with the killings.

Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said Balfour would probably remain in state custody until the Illinois Prisoner Review Board looked at his case. She would not say where Balfour was being held, and it was unclear whether Balfour had an attorney.

Hudson, who won an Academy Award in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls," was in Chicago during the weekend. The medical examiner's office confirmed Hudson, 27, identified the bodies of her mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson. The deaths were ruled homicides.

Neighbors and well-wishers brought stuffed animals and other items to a makeshift memorial outside Donerson's two-story white clapboard home as news of Monday's discovery spread.

"Everybody knows Jennifer Hudson, but I would be here even if it was little Suzy on the corner," said Tacara Juarez, 26, who doesn't know the family but lives in the neighborhood.

On Sunday, Hudson appealed to the public for help, offering the reward and asking any information be given to Chicago police.

"Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian," said a statement from her publicist.

Breaking News : Julian King body discovered in Chicago??

Breaking News : Julian King body discovered in Chicago??

On October 24, 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donerson, and her 29-year-old brother, Jason, were shot dead inside Donerson's home, in Chicago, Illinois. Likely shot before 3 p.m., they were discovered by Jason's cousin.An AMBER Alert was issued for Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, after Hudson's elder sister, Julia, reported him missing.

On October 24, Chicago police arrested a suspect, William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia, but he was not charged with any crime.Balfour is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle. The Illinois Department of Corrections' records reveal one of Balfour's addresses to be the home where Donerson and Jason Hudson were murdered.

On October 27, 2008, the body of a young boy was found in a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban parked on a street in Chicago's West Side area. The license plate and the vehicle's description matched that of the AMBER Alert.

Police have discovered the body of a child in Chicago but they have not confirmed if it is the nephew of "Dreamgirls" star Jennifer Hudson, officials said Monday.

The body was discovered on the city's west side, but the victim has not yet been identified, said William Taylor a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's officer.

Local media report that police fear the child could be Hudson's nephew because the body was found in the same white sports utility they were looking for in connection with his disappearance.

Hudson's family had made a desperate plea for the safe return of the seven-year-old boy, Julian King, who vanished after his grandmother and brother were murdered at the family's home on Friday.

"Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian," the family said in a statement on the star's website.

King disappeared from his grandmother's home on Friday, a home he shared with his mother, Julia Hudson (the singer's older sister), his grandmother and uncle.

His grandmother Darnell Donerson, 59, and uncle Jason Hudson, 29, were found by a family member shot dead in the home, according to authorities.

At the weekend, Julia Hudson pleaded for the return of her son.

"Give me my baby back. That's all I ask," a tearful Julia Hudson, 31, told reporters Saturday at a Baptist church on the South Side of Chicago.

"I know he's out there. Put him on the side of the street. Just let him go."

Autopsies showed that the pair died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said Saturday.

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson identified the bodies of her mother and brother at the morgue shortly after jetting back to her home town from Florida late Friday, the Chicago Sun-Times said.

The actress, whose star turn in "Dreamgirls" earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007, was in Florida promoting her latest movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," when she got word of the tragedy, according to the Chicago Tribune.

On her MySpace web page the family pleaded for help in finding Julian King and posted pictures of the boy.

"Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time," the message said.

Chicago police issued an Amber Alert, or child abduction bulletin, for King on Friday. On Saturday, authorities called in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help with the search in case the boy had been taken over state lines.

"We're doing that as a precautionary measure," Chicago Police superintendent Jody Weis told CNN. Weis said the slayings and the child's disappearance appeared to be a domestic matter.

The police initially identified William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia Hudson and step-father of Julian King, as a suspect in the case.

The 27-year-old baker has convictions for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. He was released from prison in May 2006 and is still on probation.

Chicago police had taken him into custody by late Friday for questioning, but at some point on the weekend he stopped cooperating with authorities and was transferred to an undisclosed state facility for violating the conditions of his parole for a 1999 conviction for attempted murder, the Tribune reported.

It said police declined to name Balfour as a suspect, saying they were only interviewing him and that he has not been charged with the murders.

Balfour had split up with Julia Hudson and moved out of the home she shared with her family, friends and neighbors said.

Jennifer Hudson has shunned the spotlight since returning to the Windy City. The 27-year-old was riding high with a new movie and a number one hit on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts from her recently released self-titled debut album, until the family tragedy upended her life.

Breaking News : Jennifer Hudson's nephew Julian King found dead ??

Breaking News : Jennifer Hudson's nephew Julian King found dead ??

On October 24, 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donerson, and her 29-year-old brother, Jason, were shot dead inside Donerson's home, in Chicago, Illinois. Likely shot before 3 p.m., they were discovered by Jason's cousin.An AMBER Alert was issued for Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, after Hudson's elder sister, Julia, reported him missing.

On October 24, Chicago police arrested a suspect, William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia, but he was not charged with any crime.Balfour is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle. The Illinois Department of Corrections' records reveal one of Balfour's addresses to be the home where Donerson and Jason Hudson were murdered.

On October 27, 2008, the body of a young boy was found in a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban parked on a street in Chicago's West Side area. The license plate and the vehicle's description matched that of the AMBER Alert.The FBI later confirmed the body was of Julian King.

Police searching for actress Jennifer Hudson’s missing seven-year-old nephew say they have found the body of a young black boy in a sports utility vehicle.

The missing child, Julian King, has not been seen since Friday, when Hudson’s mother and brother were found shot to death.

The bodies of Julian’s grandmother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, and his uncle Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered lying in the home they shared on the city’s South Side. Police issued an Amber Alert search notice for Julian and were looking for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban.

Hudson offered a $100,000 reward for her nephew’s safe return.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office and Chicago Police Department sent officials to the scene of a white SUV on the city’s West Side early today. There was no confirmation of the identity of the body, and police have so far refused to comment.

Television footage showed police vehicles escorting a flatbed tow truck as it took the SUV away from the scene. Police later said that the number on the license plate on the vehicle matched the number listed in their earlier alert.

Julian is the son of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia Hudson. The police initially identified William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia Hudson and stepfather of Julian King, as a suspect in the case. The 27-year-old baker has convictions for attempted murder, carjacking and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

He was released from prison in May 2006 and is still on probation. He was not living with his estranged wife at the time of the shooting. The couple had recently fought because Mr Balfour had sold Ms Hudson’s car without her permission, according to local media reports.

On Friday, Chicago police had taken Mr Balfour into custody for questioning over the deaths but the missing boy was not with him.

“We are doing that as a precautionary measure,” Superintendent Jody Weis, of the Chicago police, said in a television interview.

He added that the murders and the child’s disappearance seemed to be part of a domestic dispute. “From what we know right now, it appears to be some type of domestic situation but that is very preliminary. We just have to follow the evidence.”

Yesterday, Mr Balfour was transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections “based on his active parole violation unrelated to this investigation.”

Januari Smith, a Corrections spokeswoman, said that he would probably remain in state custody until the Illinois Prisoner Review Board looked at his case. She would not say where he was being held.

Meanwhile, Mr Balfour’s mother protested her son’s innocence. “This is not my son that did this,” a distraught Michele Balfour said. “You cannot say my child did this. He loved Julia. He loved Julia’s mother.”

Julia Hudson, who drives a school bus for a living, made no mention of her estranged husband on Saturday as she addressed the world’s media at Pleasant Gift Mission Baptist Church in the Kenwood district of Chicago. Flanked by Greg King, 29, the father of the missing boy, she pleaded over and over again for her son to be brought back home.

She described the child as a sensitive boy who preferred reading a book or doing some “schooling” to playing outdoors, and said that her Oscar-winning sister had been at her side since flying back to Chicago. “She flew in right away and we have been together ever since,” Ms Hudson said, adding: “We are still in a state of shock. It’s hard. We are together. We sit and we pray. Nothing else to do but pray.”

Ms Hudson, 27, had reportedly encouraged her mother to leave Englewood, the gritty South Side neighbourhood where she grew up, and where her mother had lived for two decades, but her mother had steadfastly refused.

The actress, who crashed out of the US reality series American Idol but went on to win an Oscar for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in Dreamgirls, was in Chicago with her family during the weekend, her sister said. It was she who identified the bodies of her mother and brother.

Last night, Hudson's publicist Lisa Kasteler said: “Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian.”

Records from the Corrections Department show that Mr Balfour is on parole after spending nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, carjacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

Mr Balfour, 27, has not been charged over the killings. He is not the boy’s father.

Police said they did not have a motive for the double murder but called the case “domestic related”.

Januari Smith, a Corrections spokeswoman, said that Balfour would probably remain in state custody until the Illinois Prisoner Review Board looked at his case. She would not say where he was being held.

“We are doing that as a precautionary measure,” Superintendent Jody Weis, of the Chicago police, said in a television interview.

He added that the murders and the child’s disappearance seemed to be part of a domestic dispute. “From what we know right now, it appears to be some type of domestic situation but that is very preliminary. We just have to follow the evidence.”