Julia Hudson pleads for missing son; FBI called in
October 25, 2008 at 6:39 PM | Comments (32)
Julia Hudson speaks about her missing son. Also at the news conference was Greg King, on right, father of the missing child, Julian King. (Tribune photo by Milbert O. Brown) More photos: Jennifer Hudson Crime scene
Authorities continued to search for the 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson today, a day after her mother and brother were found slain in the mother's South Side home.
The missing boy, Julian King (right), is the grandson of Hudson's mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, who along with Hudson's brother, Jason Hudson, 29, was found fatally shot in the home Friday in the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue. Police Friday night said initial reports indicated the slayings might have been domestic-related.
At Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side, Julia Hudson, sister of Jennifer Hudson, made an impassioned plea today to find her son.
"All I ask, I don't care who you are, just let my baby go," she said to reporters and relatives. "I just want my son back. He doesn't deserve this."
Standing next to Greg King, Julian's father, Julia Hudson described her son as an "easy-going" child who would rather stay home and read a book or hang out with his grandmother than play outside.
When she called her sister, Jennifer, Julia said the Oscar winner "was screaming" and "flew in right away."
"It hurts. We're in a state of shock. I don't know what else to do but pray," Julia Hudson said.
She urged the public to keep your eyes and ears open and to call out Julian's name or "Juice Box" or "Dr. King," other names he answers to.
"He's out there. Just let him go," she said, her voice cracking.
Asked what she would say to her son now, Julia Hudson said: "I love you. Mama's looking for you."
Julia Hudson said her mother and her son were "extremely close."
"I worked, so he was always with her, day in and day out," she said. "She did everything for him. She got him ready for school. She got him ready for bed."
She said Julian is smart, has a good sense of direction and knows where he lives. She described him as a "sensitive child" who "doesn't like to get hollered at."
She pleaded with Julian's abductor: "Give me my baby back, that's all I ask. I know he's out there. Just let him go."
Asked her greatest fear and greatest hope, she said: "My greatest fear has already happened. My greatest hope is for him to come back."
Meanwhile, the investigation continued. The victims died of multiple gunshot wounds and their deaths were ruled homicides today, said a spokeswoman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.
The FBI has been called in to help on the possibility that the child has been taken across state lines, Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said today.
FBI spokesman Ross Rice confirmed the FBI has been asked to help but said that doesn't necessarily mean the boy was taken out of state. He said the FBI can get involved in the disappearance of any missing child, whether kidnapped or a runaway, and said the goal is to help police find the child as quickly as possible.
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 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.
An Amber Alert issued for Julian King Friday had named William Balfour, 27, as a suspect in the slayings.
While police officials on Saturday said only they were speaking to a "person of interest" in the case, a police source previously said the person in custody was Balfour, 27, who, according to public records, has one of his last known addresses listed as Donerson's home. No charges have been filed as of this afternoon.
Police believe the murders happened about 11 a.m. and started outside with the gunman firing through the door and striking Hudson's brother, according to a law-enforcement source. The gunman then entered the house and continued to fire, striking Hudson's mother when she entered the room. Police have recovered shell casings from the scene.
Police said neighbors heard the shots but didn't call police because gunfire is commonplace in the neighborhood.
Jennifer Hudson had been trying to convince her family to move out of Englewood, the source said, but they wanted to continue living in the neighborhood
Cook County court records show Balfour pleaded guilty in 1999 to attempted murder and vehicular hijacking. He also was convicted in a 1998 case of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, records show.
Balfour was released from the Illinois River Correctional Center in Canton in May 2006 after serving seven years in prison. He is still on parole, state records show.
The Amber Alert issued for Julian King remained in effect this morning. King is described as 4-foot-11 and weighing 130 pounds. He has brown eyes and black hair and was last seen wearing a striped polo shirt and khaki pants.
Balfour's mother said her son and Julia Hudson were separated and that Donerson had thrown him out of the family home last winter. While standing outside the Wentworth Area police station Friday night with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Michele Balfour denied that her son had anything to do with the slayings.
Family members said she spoke with him Friday afternoon and he seemed as if he had been sleeping. There was no trace of panic or anxiety in his voice, they said.
"I didn't raise no murderer," Michele Balfour said. "He was not a child abductor. They have the wrong person."
Wentworth Area detectives were handling the investigation.
Jennifer Hudson visited the Cook County medical examiner's office overnight with other family members to identify the bodies of her mother and brother, according to the office.
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who had arranged for Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention, and his wife released the following statement Saturday:
"Michelle and I were absolutely heartbroken to learn about this unimaginable tragedy, and we want Jennifer and to know that she is in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time. We also pray for the swift and safe return of her young nephew."
A trickle of curious fans stopped by the Hudson family house early today to drop off stuffed animals, take pictures and mourn. There were also reports of a vigil planned at the home for sometime this afternoon.
The police tape has been removed from the 7000 block of South Yale and two Chicago police squad cars -- one in the driveway and one in the alley -- are keeping watch on the large white house in this modest Englewood neighborhood.
"I came over here because I was curious," said Tony Williams, of Hammond, Ind., who was running errands on the South Side and stopped by before heading home.
TV crews and reporters outnumbered neighbors and fans on the cold and drizzly morning. As of about noon, five stuffed animals, two bouquets of flowers and a bottle of Remy Martin have been propped up against the home's fence, which is only a few feet from the home's front door. A barbecue drum with a bottle of mustard sit on the small front lawn.
"They were just like anybody in the neighborhood," said Belinda Lattimore, who used to live in the neighborhood and returned early Saturday to pay respects.
Many said the fact that Hudson's mother still lived in the neighborhood showed how down-to-earth she was.
"It shows how they are like normal, church-going people," Lattimore said. "They weren't going to change because of fame and fortune."
