Jennifer Hudson with her mother and sister in an undated photo
The search for Jennifer Hudson’s 7-year old nephew, Julian King, is ongoing and an Amber Alert has gone out over Illinois state lines. The Chicago police have requested the help of the FBI since it is possible the boy was taken out of the state. The FBI has the ability to get involved in a missing child case regardless of whether the child has been taken across state lines, so even though there is no evidence to suggest Julian King has been taken out of state, the FBI is assisting.
FBI have joined the search
The FBI joined the search Saturday for the 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, still missing a day after the bodies of Hudson’s mother and brother were found in the actress’ childhood home.
A suspect in the deaths remained in custody Saturday, but young Julian King had not been seen since the bodies of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found Friday afternoon.
Because of the possibility the boy may have been taken across state lines, police spokesman John Mirabelli said the FBI has been asked to assist in the search. FBI spokesman Ross Rice confirmed the agency was helping to look for the child, but he declined to provide details.
[From MSN]
Suspect is in custody, has not been charged
William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer’s sister Julia, is still in custody but has not yet been charged with anything. He is not cooperating with police. Balfour’s exact relationship to Julian has not been confirmed, but he is not the child’s father, according to Julia’s statements in a press conference. She would not discuss whether he is the boy’s step-father. Balfour is married to, but separated from, Julia, the boy’s mother.
The search for Julian King includes more than the Chicago police and the FBI. Local religious and community leaders are organziing volunteers to do whatever they can, as well.
Police are “looking everywhere” for the boy, including returning to the scene of the murders, Bond said. She would not comment on the cooperation of the suspect, saying that police consider him only a person of interest, and added they are talking to others as well.
Community leaders called for a hundred volunteers to meet in front of the Hudson family house at 3 p.m. today to search for the missing boy.
“We want a posse of men and women and religious leaders to help find that child before sundown,” said Ziff Sistrunk, an Englewood community activist. “We need to find this kid.”
The police continue to look a white Chevrolet Suburban, license plate number X584859, in connection with the crime but they have located the teal car they included in the original alert yesterday. She declined to say where that vehicle was located.
[From Chicago Tribune]
The Amber Alert for Julian King describes the boy as an African American male, age 7, height 4’11”, weight 130 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes, wearing a brown polo shirt with stripes and khaki pants. Suspect vehicle is a white 1994 Chevrolet Suburban, Illinois registration, X584859. Anyone with information should call 9-1-1 and advise they have an Amber Alert report.
Julia Hudson pleads for safe return of her son
Text below by Celebitchy: Julia Hudson held a press conference yesterday in which she plead for her son’s safe return. She said that she knew her son was out there and begged that he be returned safely. Julian’s father, Greg King, stood next to her.
Julia described Julian as a very good, sensitive, smart boy who would rather stay home to read and study than go out and play. She said that he was particularly close to his grandmother, and described her as his primary caregiver, which makes this tragedy especially hard for that little boy.
Julia said that her famous sister Jennifer had flown out to Chicago immediately after hearing about the murders and said that she was with her, although Jennifer did not appear on camera. She said that “Despite her being who she is, she is still my sister.” She said that Jennifer was screaming when she had to break the news to her over the phone and that they are all in a state of shock.
William Balfour was involved in a feud with the family over a car
According to news reports, Julia was upset that Balfour had sold a car that was hers. A neighbor told TMZ that “the dispute got so heated William threatened to ‘kill Julia’s family’ but she didn’t report it because she didn’t take it seriously.” Although Balfour is still in custody he has not yet been charged. Police have interviewed other people who may have knowledge of the crime a connection to the victims.
The only thing that is any consolation in this incredibly sad story is that it has received national attention due to the fact that it’s Jennifer Hudson’s family. Hopefully the media’s focus on this missing little boy will help bring him back to his family safe and sound.
Photos thanks to the Chicago Sun Times
Victim Jason Hudson:
Another photo of Julian King:
Damn. I so hope they find the little boy alive and unharmed. I’ll light a candle for him.
What an awful mess all this is. I hope they find Julian safe and sound and above all, soon!
The only thing that gives me a little hope is that if Balfour really was the one to take him and he acted without an accomplice, the boy still has a chance of being found alive – if they find him in time.
But time is working against all who are searching for him. Don’t they say the first 24 hours after a kidnapping are the ones in which there is still a chance to find the victim unharmed and after that, these probabilities drop by the hour?
Anyway, enough negative talk. I hope with all my heart that they will find him and I’m sending good thoughts to the entire family, as well as to Julian who needs to be really strong right now.
Anna; I think the 24-hour rule is about suspects in a murder?? (not sure). However, the police already have a prime suspect in these murders, and (assuming Balfour IS guilty which, granted, he may not be), he doesn’t sound vert smart–I have no doubt the police and FBI will figure out what he’s done with the child.
Like you, I pray Julian is found alive and unharmed.
Jeeze, I hope he is okay, poor little fella, he must be so scared. 🙁
I hope they find him ASAP.
In murder cases if they don’t make significant progress in 48 hours the odds that the murder will be solved decreases dramatically. In missing child cases they are much more likely to be found alive in the first 24 hours after that the odds of finding them alive are really small – but that is during a non-family abduction. So whatever their relationship hopefully he sees the boy as family and didn’t want to hurt the boy.
That’s sad.
The fact that two people were (allegedly) murdered by this guy who (more than likely) kidnapped this child is surely enough to warrant huge, nationwide, media attention, irrespective of her fame? Or am I being really naive?
I have two scenarios…What if
a) we now know that Balfour was on myspace. What if he took the boy to either a friend or some girl he met on myspace and now they are afraid to come forward because they dont want to look like an accomplice or….
b)the boy witnessed the murders and hid somewhere and is in shock and afraid to come out of hiding.
I hate to say this, but if he were alive he would have gotten to a phone or asked for help getting home. 11 years old, especially in an urban environment are pretty savvy about how to get around, and all kids are trained to ask for police help if they are in trouble.
He’s been gone to long, plus he was a living witness to the 2 murders.
wait. where did you get 11 yrs old from Jinxy? Everywhere I have read says 7? Although I was thinking that 4’11 is really really tall for a 7 year old.
I really hope they find him and that he is hiding somewhere rather than kidnapped. It is possible that he took off and hid and is now in shock, and scared that the killer is looking for him.
The little boy is seven years old.
The little boy is gone, no ransom demand no nothing. It doesn’t look good. Whoever did this has a real axe to grind and was interested in torturing the family which is why they took the child. His being a witness is irrelevant since they could have killed him at the scene if that was the extent of their criminal mindset. Somebody wanted to put a real hurt on these people.
No Germino, you are not naive and you do have a point. I understand what you mean and I didn’t read the story properly and completely misunderstood it.
Everyone needs to write CNN about Nancy Grace! I am so tired of “Where is Carley”…after two years of where is Natalie!!! At a time like this why isn’t Nancy Grace talking about this little missing Black Child?
I do not mean to be insensitive, but at a time like this, we really need Nancy’s azz to really make sense of herself and this show, and do something to help spotlight this situation!!!!
I am praying that they find the little boy…I cannot imagine Jennifer’s plight. All the fame, money and fortune in the world cannot bring her mother, brother back. Just imagine if the sister did not go to work that day, she would be gone too!!!
They will not get to see Jennifer’s movie, album and marriage now….DAMN!!! The world is so cold these days!
EVERYONE…STILL WRITE CNN about Nancy Grace please!!! She is so quick to point out domestic violence and injustices to children, etc…where call her out on the carpet now!!! I am writing CNN now CB folks!
@ThatBKChick: Good point. Where’s the Amber Alert – did I miss something?
Baho – Are you asking if there IS an Amber Alert?
The article has the specifics of the Amber Alert for Julian King and the link to the website.
If that’s not what you meant, I apologize for butting in.
@Kristin – What happened was, I didn’t realise at first you were responding to Ceilidh’s comment at the end of the story, and then I did realise it, and my comment was actually also directed at Ceilidh’s comment too and not so much at your comment, which I understood, once I’d read Ceilidh’s comment (if you follow me!) 8)
@Baholicious
No you hit it right on the head. I am so tired of where is Carley for heaven sakes? We have known for weeks that the mother has been taken into custody and she should move on until the trail and talk about other issues with children, like lack of health care coverage, like the carcengens that are in the hotdogs and bi-products we are feeding them in school lunch, I can think of a ton of things that her show should be producing, like taking off where American’s Most Wanted Left off, et, al.
It’s like what else does this woman talk about on her show, when there are tons of children across the country who needs to be spotlighted, particularly this situation? She has an opportunity to get her head out of her azz and make some sense of her show. I never have been able to understand why in the hell she is still on t.v. and Star Jones isn’t? The both of them are irrelevant and H.A.M.’s to boot!
Ceilidh didn’t write the second half of this article.
But these sorts of things do happen all the time and like BKChick pointed out, the minority kids are often not given any press at all. She’s right, Nancy Grace is still focusing solely on the little white girl without a word about the little black boy. Take it as you will, but I agree with Celebitchy, if this was “just another” poor, black family in Chicago, the press wouldn’t have even had a blip on the radar.
Hopefully, for the sake of Julian King, it will save him, though.
I believe the final par is written by Ceilidh, the bit about JH being high-profile helping the story. Which is what I and Kristin were commenting on.
Are Nancy Grace’s shows repeats on the weekend?
I have watched some of the Caylee Anthony coverage and Nancy Grace always has other missing children featured on the show every time I have seen it.
Hopefully Oprah will feature this story on her show Monday. Being based in Chicago, she would bring more coverage locally and nationally.
That poor kid. God, this is just awful. I have a bad feeling that they won’t find him alive.
How come the media is not covering this story…….I am in Arizona and I have been watching the news like crazy, and NO NEWS, is talking about Julian King. How come ???????????? 😐
@Diva – That’s just what I was asking so thanks for confirming because I didn’t know if there was an Amber Alert out for him and have no clue who Nancy Grace is other than some (local?)media figure.
I can’t say how it is in the States, but up here a missing kid is a missing kid and they all receive the same level of press coverage to find them regardless of their colour or ethnicity.
P.S. I should clarify though when I say I don’t know about racially biased reporting in the U.S. but I agree that were these folks not relatives of Jennifer Hudson, I certainly wouldn’t be reading about it on the front page of a Canadian newspaper. It wouldn’t hit the international newswire to begin with…
God there has been so much going through my mind since I heard the news. I can’t even begin to express how deeply sorry I am about your family’s loss. I’m praying for you all and am in tears over this very sad and senseless situation. I ask that the Lord guide you and that your bond keep you all close through it all. In my heart I pray that time will heal your wounds and that Julian is brought home safely so that you all can deal with this as a family. May GOD be your strength and bless you all abundantly. You are always in my thoughts and prayers, LOVE YOU LOTS!!!! – Tay
Baholicious, Nancy Grace is a crazy crime reporter type that has a show on CNN. I’ll let others fill you more thoroughly.
I periodically refresh this page for more info, I sure hope he’s alive.
I am REALLY confused. Is this 7 year old actually nearly 5 ft tall and 130 lbs? Because that is bigger (heavier at least) than my 12 year old, and HE is in the 90th %ile for size. I also have a 7 year old who is maybe 70 lbs.
I wonder if they got the description wrong, or possibly his age?! Seems unlikely for an FBI Amber Alert, but still….
hey ERICA,
I don’t think u should have posted that comment about julian when he is missing. So U mean to tell me that you are more concerned about his weight and hieght than his safety and recovery? How can you make a comparison when your child isnt missing? U must work for the people who make Progression Charts that hang in Children’s clinics. 😕
Ahhh I hear yah Germino. 🙂 I was worried that my post sounded horrible, and I really didn’t mean for it to. This story made me especially sad because I am from Chicago (even though that doesn’t matter, it shouldn’t have happened anywhere)
But thanks for being cool about it.
wow i really cant believe you people are on here discussing the weight and height and all that other crap when the poor 7year old boy is missing. what kind of crap is that? all ask for you to do is pray for the hudson family, this is a tough time. alot may say they know what there going through but you really dont. a lost of a mother and brother and a son missing is the worst feeling you can ever feel in ur entire life.i pray julian gets home safe to his mother. poor kid, its not his fault he was there to witness this horrible act. let the little boy go, who ever has anything to do with this is sick. how can you sleep at night knowing you caused so much pain to one family? how can you be able to look in the mirror after this? you are a pig and i cant wait to see you caught, karma is a mother. you will pay, and i honestly do not feel bad to what happens to you. my prayers go out to you jennifer and julia and julian . GOD BLESS YOU ALL
This is just too dreadful – from dlisted (but also being reported elsewhere now):
“The body of a young boy was found inside a 1994 white Chevy Suburban on Chicago’s West Side this morning. The medical examiner has not yet confirmed if the child is Jennifer Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, but it’s pretty certain this it’s him.”
Ok, MORONS: I was posting disbelief at the weight/height of the 7 year old boy because I thought it was not a believable DESCRIPTION, and the POINT of the FBI releasing a DESCRIPTION of a missing child is so that people can be on the look out for children fitting that DESCRIPTION. Get it? It was in no way intended to be crass about the terrifying situation. I live in that area and would liked to have known what the little boy looks like so I could watch for him in malls, gas stations, vehicles etc. That is the point of an Amber Alert. Duh.
Ok I agree with Erike. I dont think she meant that comment in an ugly way. We all hope when an Amber Alert is issued; they put out the correct info so that everyone is looking for the right kid. Pictures can be deceiving sometimes. I just hate to see that police have found any body of any child in any SUV. It seems likely that this is probably Julian, but regardless of who it is, it is a dead child which is horrible. I just cant imagine losing any of my children or family to violent crimes like this. This makes me think even more that we all need to be nicer to each other and try to get along instead of all of this fighting. I am still praying for this family.
erika, obviously they would have put the right inforamtion about the little boy. like be serious. i find your excuse bullshit. theres pictures everywhere about the little boy its pretty obvious the description was correct .. but either way i dont see why that striked you the most. dumb ass people forreal.. god bless the little boy ..