William Balfour Gets Three Life Sentences For Jennifer Hudson Family Murders

Radar Staff

July 24 2012, Published 4:30 a.m. ET

By Debbie Emery - RadarOnline.com Reporter

Two months after being found guilty of murdering Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, William Balfour was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Judge Charles Burns imposed three consecutive life sentences for the murders and 120 years for the underlying felonies of home invasion and aggravated kidnapping, reported the Chicago Tribune.

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Unable to restrain his own emotions over the cold-hearted slaying, Burns told the 30-year-old convicted killer that his crimes "send a chill through all of us" and said Balfour's "soul is as barren as dark space."

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Balfour was found guilty in the deaths of Jennifer’s mother Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57; brother Jason Hudson, 29; and nephew Julian King, 7, in October 2008.

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Balfour claimed he loved Julian but the judge appeared disgusted. "The fact that you can stand in court and tell us you love that child is an insult to all of us," he said in the Cook County court.

"There's no doubt in my mind he looked up to you as you were putting bullets into his head. I just hope his terror was short-lived."

Balfour looked on in silence while the judge verbally lambasted him in a shaking voice; however earlier in the day he made a statement to the victims' family and his ex-wife, Julia.

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"My condolences go out to the family. My deepest sympathies go to Julian King. I loved him. I still love him."

Dreamgirls star Hudson has not commented on the sentencing but sent an uplifting message to her Twitter followers on Sunday, "When God is smiling on you, it doesn't matter who's frowning," she wrote.

Last week she encouraged her fans to support the 2nd Annual Julian D. King Hatch Day Celebration in Chicago on August 14 – which would have been her nephew's 11th birthday – to raise money to "hatch" the dreams of school age children.

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