Defense Allege Jennifer Hudson's Slain Brother Was A Drug Dealer
April 24 2012, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
By Debbie Emery - Breaking Celebrity News Reporter
The trial of the man accused of murdering Jennifer Hudson’s family took a surprising twist when the defense suggested that the Oscar winner’s brother was a big time drug dealer.
Assistant Public Defender Amy Thompson argued that it was not suspect William Balfour who killed Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew, and even went as far as suggesting an alternative suspect whom she claimed assisted Jason Hudson in his alleged illegal drug business, reported the Chicago Sun Times.
“He was involved in a dangerous business and it brought danger to him and he lived in Englewood, probably the most dangerous neighborhood in the city of Chicago,” Thompson told the jurors.
“(Police) did nothing to determine if it might have been Jason Hudson’s violent business that led to him getting shot twice before, that led to these murders. … They did nothing to follow the trail other than the weak trail that leads to William Balfour.”
Balfour faces three counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and home invasion in the 2008 deaths of Jennifer and Julia Hudson’s mother Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57; brother Jason, 29; and Julia's son Julian King, 7.
As Breaking Celebrity News previously reported, Jennifer broke down in tears on Monday when she told the Chicago courtroom how she had begged Julia not to marry Balfour, and did not find out that her sister had gone through with it until months later.