Hudson avoids start of murder trial

Actress Jennifer Hudson has decided not to hear the opening statements in the trial of the man accused of killing her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew.

But her fiance, David Otunga, sat in the Chicago court and stared as defendant William Balfour walked in. Balfour is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the 2008 shootings.

A court spokesman said Ms Hudson was in the building but would not be in the watching the start of the trial.

The 30-year-old actress and singer is among 300 potential witnesses who could be called.

Prosecutors say a gift of balloons sent Balfour, at the time Hudson’s brother-in-law, into such a jealous rage on October 24, 2008, that he shot dead her mother, brother and nephew in the home where the Hollywood star grew up.

Balfour believed the balloons came from Ms Hudson’s sister Julia’s new boyfriend, prosecutors have said.

They say Balfour used a .45-calibre handgun to kill Hudson’s mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, in the living room, and then shot her 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, twice in the head as he lay in bed.

He allegedly drove off in Jason Hudson’s car with Julia Hudson’s son, Julian King, inside. Authorities say he shot the boy in the head as he lay behind a front seat. His body was found in the abandoned vehicle after a three-day search.

There are no known witnesses to the killings.

Balfour allegedly threatened to kill the Hudson family at least two dozen times, starting earlier in 2008 when he moved out of the house, lead prosecutor James McKay said.

Mr McKay said that a day before the killings, on Julia Hudson’s birthday, Balfour told her, “If you ever leave me, I’m going to kill you, but I’m going to kill your family first.” She did not take him seriously, Mr McKay said, because Balfour had not acted on the threats before.

Julia Hudson’s divorce from Balfour was finalised last year.

If convicted of at least two of the murder counts, the 30-year-old Balfour, on parole at the time of the killings after serving nearly seven years for attempted murder and vehicular hijacking, would face a mandatory life sentence.

Jennifer Hudson, the 2004 “American Idol” finalist and 2007 Oscar winner for her role in “Dreamgirls,” is expected to attend each day of evidence, which could last up to a month.