Police found a potential murder weapon today in a vacant lot just around the corner from where little Julian King, Jennifer Hudson’s 7 year-old murdered nephew was found. Julian was found shot in the white Suburban SUV stolen from the Hudson home. The SUV was found on the West Side of Chicago, very near where William Balfour, the only person of interest in the case, was taken in to custody.
50 officers from the police academy did a systematic grid search, some at the Hudson house, some near where the SUV found. The pistol was found by one of 50 police academy recruits who were searching parts of the city for possible evidence in the case, Deputy Chief Nick Roti said.
The recruit spotted the weapon in the thick shrubbery of a vacant alley around the corner from where the SUV was found, Roti said. No word on the caliber. News video showed it was a gun, police are still just calling it a “weapon”. Reports indicate a bullet was still in the SUV when it was found, and shell casings were reportedly found in the house. Reports say the family members were killed by a .45 caliber weapon. Bullets may have been found still inside the victims, but authorities haven’t released that information yet.
Ballistics will have to be run to see if any bullets came from the gun that was found. “Striation marks” will be on the bullet which give the exact “fingerprint” of the gun. You put ammo into the gun, fire it, and compare the bullets from the crime to see if the “fingerprints” match.
Police say there is an emerging theory that the gunman may have had help in committing the murders. How did one person shoot Jennifer’s mom and brother, grab a child, and drive the two cars that were missing from the home? One vehicle, the teal sedan, was found with William Balfour. The SUV, as we know, was found early Monday morning on the same side of town where William was found.
Last night, William Balfour’s mother made some strong allegations against Julia and Jason Hudson. She said Jason dealt drugs from the house, and that Julia had planted drugs on him. In 2004, Greg King, little Julian’s dad, and Jason Hudson did get caught in a drug deal. Both men allegedly sold crack cocaine to a registered informant. Cops then raided the same home where Jason and his mother were murdered last week. According to records, Jason, Gregory and Julia were all arrested. Jason got off, Julia got off, Greg did time. Cops say Jason and Gregory were affiliated with the gang, Gangster Disciples That’s the same gang that William Balfour, the “person of interest” was in.
Balfour’s mother insists her son is innocent, that he loved Julia, Julian and the whole Hudson family. However, neighbors say the domestic problems between Juila and William were common. William violated his parole from his prison sentence twice, but wasn’t sent back to jail. William reportedly threatened to kill the family on numerous occasions. Julia did not believe he was serious. Was this an act of revenge? Was this a drug deal gone bad? There are still so many unanswered questions. Ballistic tests may shed a lot of light on this tragic case.