William Balfour

William Balfour will never be a free man again. A judge in Chicago made sure of that today.

The 31-year old who was found guilty in May of killing Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences today, appearing inside a courtroom and maintaining his innocence until the end.

Hudson was also present at the sentencing.

During the hearing, a judge looked directly at Balfour and told him: "Your soul is as barren as dark space."

Balfour was convicted of triple murder, home innovation and residential burglary after he went into a jealous rage in 2008 because he believed his ex-girlfriend has received a present from another man.

Not long after William Balfour was found guilty of murdering her mother, brother and nephew, Jennifer Hudson released an email statement regarding the tragedy as a whole.

“We have felt the love and support from people all over the world, and we’re very grateful,” Hudson and sister Julia said, extending a prayer “from the Hudson family to the Balfour family" because "we have all suffered a terrible loss in this tragedy."

Quoting Scripture, the Hudson sisters concluded:

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). It is our prayer that the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts and bring his heart into repentance someday."

Balfour faces life in prison, and his attorney plans to appeal her client's multiple convictions next month.

William Balfour - the former brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson who was arrested for killing her mother, brother and nephew - has been found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder.

Hudson (along with her fiancé and sister) was inside the courtroom when the verdict was read and sources tell E! News they sat silently throughout.

Balfour did not testify on his own behalf, although the Oscar winner did take the stand early on in the trial and broke down in tears at one point.

In addition to the murder charges, Balfour was found guilty of home invasion, residential burglary, aggravated kidnapping and possession of a stolen vehicle. He faces life in prison.

A day after taking the stand in the murder case against William Balfour - and breaking down when a photo of her mom was presented - Jennifer Hudson couldn't handle being in the same room with the man accused of killing her relatives.

Witnesses tell TMZ Hudson excused herself from the legal proceedings when prosecutors pulled out crime scene photos of Jennifer's seven-year old nephew Julian, who was allegedly shot by Balfour in a fit of rage.

He is also on trial for murdering Hudson's mother and brother.

David Otunga, Jennifer's fiance and the father of her son, remained inside the courtroom after Hudson departed and, insiders say, jotted down notes about the crime scene. Our hearts and thoughts go out to Jennifer and her family.

Today will likely be one of the most difficult days of Jennifer Hudson's life

As we type, the Oscar winner is taking the stand to testify in the trial of William Balfour, the man accused of murdering her mother, brother and nephew in 2008.

Balfour - who has pleaded not guilty - faces first degree murder charges. Prosecutors believe he flew into a rage and committed these heinous acts after seeing a gift to Julia Hudson, Balfour's ex-girlfriend and Jennifer's sibling, that he thought was from a new man in her life.

The trial got underway this morning.

UPDATE: Jennifer reportedly broke down on the stand twice during her testimony when talking about her family and looking at a photo of her mom. She also said no one approved of her sister marring Balfour.

"Where he was, I tried not to be. So if I saw him, I separated myself," she said on the stand.

Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, has pleaded not guilty in the murders of the singer's mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

Balfour, 27, entered his plea to charges of first-degree murder and home invasion Tuesday at Cook County Criminal Court in Chicago. Before doing so he nodded to members of his family in the courtroom, The Associated Press reports.

He is being held without bail. He is due in court again January 27.

The estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia Hudson, William Balfour was arrested in connection to the three grisly murders in December.

Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother Jason Hudson, 29, were found shot to death in the family's Chicago home on October 24.

The body of Julian King, 7, was found three days later.

Prosecutors had claimed that Balfour, considered the prime suspect from very early on in the investigation, was upset that Julia Hudson was dating another man and that his jealously may have played a role in the crime. The gift of a car is also at issue.

Jennifer Hudson is set to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on February 1, and is also slated to perform at the upcoming Grammy Awards.

According to Chicago police officials, the chain of events leading to the tragic murders of Jennifer Hudson's three family members began when her sister, Julia, celebrated her 31st birthday on October 23 with cake and a small party at home.

The next morning, Julia's estranged husband William Balfour – booted last February from the house in Chicago where they lived with Julia's mother and 7-year-old son – showed up and spotted a gift he believed came from another man.

That jealousy is the motive that allegedly led Balfour, 27, to return to the house after Julia had left for work and shoot her mother Darnell Donerson, 57, Jennifer's brother Jason, 29, then take Julia's son, 7-year-old Julian King.

He would go on to later kill him as well, prosecutors allege.

Jennifer Hudson and other family members were "relieved and happy" after Balfour was charged December 2 with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion, Chicago Police Deputy Superintendent Steve Patterson said.

Those family members assisted "every step of the way under very stressful and painful circumstances," adds police Superintendent Jody Weis.

William Balfour's attorney, Joshua Kutnick, says the stormy relationship between William Balfour and Julia Hudson makes his client "a convenient target."

"We are extremely confident that once all of the evidence has come to light and has been tested by our vigorous analysis of the case, that William will be found not guilty," Kutnick said after a judge ordered Balfour held without bail.

But the revelation that gunpowder residue turned up in William Balfour's green Chrysler "is indicative that he fired a handgun," Cook County Assistant State's Attorney LuAnn Snow says. "So yes, there is physical evidence."

In detailing their case against their prime suspect from day one, the police have described a growing tension between William Balfour and Julia Hudson.

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Chicago Prosecutors say William Balfour killed Jennifer Hudson's brother, mother and nephew because he was angry his estranged wife was dating other men.

At a hearing Wednesday, prosecutors claimed Balfour came to the family's home the morning of the October 24 murders and confronted his estranged wife Julia Hudson.

Balfour and Julia Hudson left together but Balfour returned to the home; the bodies of Hudson's mother and brother were found there later that day.

Darnell Donerson was 57 and Jason Hudson was 29. The body of Julia Hudson's 7-year-old son, Julian King, was found in an SUV three days later.

Although his defense insists William Balfour is innocent, a judge denied bail.

The prosecutor said Balfour - who was the prime suspect in the murder investigation from the beginning - confessed October 24 when asked for an alibi.

According to the Chicago Tribune, prosecutors debunked statements William Balfour made to police, such as the fact that he said he was at home at the time of the grisly murders, but cell phone records place him in Hudson's neighborhood.

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Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law William Balfour, who was arrested this week in the October murders of her mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew, has been formally charged with the crimes after getting arrested yesterday.

He has been charged with three counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion. Cops say Balfour hasn't confessed to the crime, despite prior reports he did. But they also say he has "talked about the investigation."

The 27-year-old is expected to held without bail at a hearing tomorrow, but says he "did not commit these crimes," his lawyer was quoted as saying.

"The delay between the crimes and his actual arrest shows weakness in the case," Joshua Kutnick said, despite Balfour being a person of interest from the start.

"This case is not a strong case against William. He is a convenient suspect."

William Balfour was transferred from an Illinois state prison – where he has been held on suspicion of a parole violation – back into police custody.

Jennifer Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson, 57, brother Jason Hudson, 29, and Balfour's own stepson, Julian King, 7, were slain last month. Balfour is married to, but separated from Hudson's sister Julia, the mother of Julian.

Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, was arrested late Monday in the slayings of the Oscar winner's mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew, according to Chicago police and the Chicago Tribune.

Formal charges have not yet been brought by the Cook County prosecutor's office, but Balfour was transferred from an Illinois state prison – where he has been held on suspicion of a parole violation – back into police custody.

He has been considered the prime suspect for weeks.

Balfour, 27, who is married but separated from Hudson's sister, Julia, was arrested in the first-degree murders of Hudson's mother Darnell Donerson, 57, brother Jason Hudson, 29, and Julia's son - his own stepson - Julian King, 7.

William Balfour, who previously served prison time for attempted murder and car hijacking, was arrested hours after the first victims were discovered.

The bodies of Donerson and Hudson were found shot to death October 24 in the family home on Chicago's South Side by Hudson's sister, Julia.

The body of King, Julia's son, was found three days later in the backseat of Jason's abandoned Chevrolet Suburban. All died from gunshot wounds.

Balfour and Julia Hudson married on December 30, 2006.

They lived together at the family home at first, but their relationship was marred by myriad fights over money and infidelities, according to family members.

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