The man convicted of gunning down Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s family was sentenced to life in prison yesterday.
William Balfour was convicted in May of breaking into the Hudson family home and fatally shooting Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, her brother Jason Hudson, 29, and her seven-year-old nephew Julian King.
The prosecution alleged Balfour’s motive was jealousy of his estranged wife Julia, Hudson’s sister, who he threatened numerous times.
The judge sentenced Balfour to three terms of life in prison plus 120 years on other charges.
"You have the heart of an arctic night," Cook County Circuit Judge Charles Burns told Balfour. "Your soul is as barren as dark space."
The only person to give a victim impact statement in court was Gregory King, the father of Hudson's nephew. He told the judge he felt like his heart was ripped out when he found out his son was dead.
"I miss picking Julian up from the school bus," King said. "I miss going on field trips with him ... I miss him spending the night with me and my other children."
Balfour gave a brief statement offering his condolences to the Hudson family while maintaining his innocence, the New York Times reported.
