Jury: Hudson stardom no factor in murders verdict
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A Chicago jury has convicted Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson's former brother-in-law of murdering her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew in what prosecutors described as an act of vengeance by a jilted husband. Video by ktnv.com
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CHICAGO (AP) -- Jurors who convicted a Chicago man of three murders in the deaths of Jennifer Hudson's family members say the Oscar winner's celebrity had nothing to do with their decision.
The verdict Friday means 31-year-old William Balfour will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. He faces a mandatory life prison sentence. Illinois no longer has a death penalty.
Just an hour before the verdict, the jurors sent the judge a note saying three panelists weren't convinced of Balfour's guilt. Prosecutors said Balfour shot Hudson's family members in an act of spite after his estranged wife at the time, Hudson's sister, Julia Hudson.
In a statement later Friday, the sisters said they hoped "the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts and bring his heart into repentance."
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