E91: William Balfour

This week Wendy and Beth get into the case of William Balfour, the brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson (the singer and actress), allegedly because he was angry that his wife wanted a divorce and was seeing someone new. 

We get get into the stats and setting (12:48) then move into the early life of some of the people involved in the story (25:04). We dive into the time line (36:04) and move on to the investigation and arrest (48:30). We share our take aways, how not to get murdered (102:05) and some shout outs (109:22).

Thanks for listening! This is a weekly podcast and new episodes drop every Thursday, so until next time… look alive guys, it’s crazy out there!

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Articles/Websites

Murderpedia. (n.d.). William Balfour. Retrieved 08/21/20 from https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/balfour-william.htm

Wikipedia contributors. (08/15/2020). Murder of Jason Hudson. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08/21/2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Jason_Hudson&oldid=973174825

Justia US Law. (05/06/2015). People v. Balfour (Amended Opinion). Retrieved 08/22/2020 from https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/court-of-appeals-first-appellate-district/2015/1-12-2325-0.html

Meisner, Jason; St. Clair, Stacy. (04/28/2012). Girlfriend says Balfour admitted killing mother, brother of Jennifer Hudson. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 08/22/2020 from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-jennifer-hudson-trial-0428-20120428-story.html

Schreiber, Barbara A. (n.d.). Jennifer Hudson. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 08/22/2020 from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jennifer-Hudson

ABC7 Eyewitness News. (12/31/2008). Murder rate jumps in 2008. Retrieved on 8/23/2020 from https://abc7chicago.com/archive/6580432/

Hoekstra, Dave. (12/16/2006). Living The Dream. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://web.archive.org/web/20090204155517/http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/175911,sho-cst-dream17.article

Klba, Lauren; Sweitzer, Madeline. (11/04/2016) Trump gets Chicago murder statistics correct … mostly. The Observatory.  Retrieved 8/23/2020 from https://observatory.journalism.wisc.edu/2016/11/03/trump-gets-chicago-murder-statistics-correct-mostly/

Pavone, Barbara. (07/31/2019). Jennifer Hudson’s Tragic Real Life Story. Nicki Swift. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://www.nickiswift.com/160446/jennifer-hudsons-tragic-real-life-story/

Fisher, Luchina; Nichels, Scott. (10/28/2008). Who Is Suspected Hudson Killer Balfour? ABC News. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=6132097&page=1

TMZ. (10/28/2008). Like Father, Like Son? Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://www.tmz.com/2008/10/28/like-father-like-son/

TMZ. (12/07/2008). William Balfour – Troubled Youth. Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://www.tmz.com/2008/12/07/william-balfour-troubled-youth/

Montaldo, Charles. (01/24/2020). The Jennifer Hudson Family Murders. ThoughtCo. Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-jennifer-hudson-family-murders-971053

Associated Press. (12/04/2008). Hudson suspect has long rap sheet. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hudson-suspect-has-long-rap-123902

Goudie, Chuck. (02/18/2016). Jennifer Hudson’s Family’s Killer Speaks; Says He was Set Up (WATCH). ABC7. Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://abc7chicago.com/william-balfour-jennifer-hudson-family-murders/1206661/

Meisner, Jason; St. Clair, Stacy. (05/12/2012). William Balfour guilty in Hudson murders case. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/chi-jurors-deliberate-2nd-day-in-hudson-murders-trial-20120510-story.html

Access Online. (12/02/2008). William Balfour’s Mother Questions Police Murder Investigation. Retrieved 08/24/2020 from https://www.accessonline.com/articles/william-balfours-mother-questions-police-murder-investigation-66482

Nelson, Daryl. (12/12/2019). ’11 Girls, 16 Boys’: Jennifer Hudson Reveals She Has a Total of 26 Siblings. Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved 08/25/2020 from https://atlantablackstar.com/2019/12/12/11-girls-16-boys-jennifer-hudson-reveals-she-has-a-total-of-26-siblings/

Meisner, Jason. (07/24/2012). Judge gives Balfour 3 life sentences, calls his soul ‘barren’. LA Times. Retrieved 08/26/2020 from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/chi-hudson-expected-in-court-today-for-brotherinlaws-sentencing-20120724-story.html

Ganger, Candace. (12/02/2019). The Heartbreaking Reason Jennifer Hudson Won’t Ever Slow Down. Showbiz Cheatsheet. Retrieved 08/29/2020 from https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-heartbreaking-reason-jennifer-hudson-wont-ever-slow-down.html/

Meisner, Jason. (05/07/2020). Witness describes phone call with suspect in Hudson family slaying trial. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 08/29/2020 from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2012-05-07-chi-jennifer-hudson-william-balfour-trial-story.html

Tribune Staff. (04/23/2019). Updated: Timeline in the murders of Jennifer Hudson family members. LA Times. Retrieved 08/29/2020 from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/chi-jennifer-hudson-murders-timeline-story.html

Julian D King Gift Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved 08/29/2020 from http://www.juliandkinggiftfoundation.com/about-us/

Video

Murder in The Family. S1E1: Jennifer Hudson.
https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/530914/s01_e01_jennifer_hudson

CNN. (May 11, 2012). William Balfour guilty on all counts in Hudson family‎ murders. YouTube Channel Absolutely. Retrieved 8/22/2020 from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQGESZvUmGE

History

History.com editors. (03/04/2010; updated 04/28/2020).  Chicago. History. Retrieved 8/22/2020 from https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/chicago

Wikipedia contributors. (08/22/2020). 1968 Democratic National Convention. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08/22/2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1968_Democratic_National_Convention&oldid=974266619

Wikipedia contributors. (06/30/2020). Demographics of Chicago. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Demographics_of_Chicago&oldid=965269787

Wikipedia contributors. (08/08/2020). Crime in Chicago. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crime_in_Chicago&oldid=971773215

Wikipedia contributors. (08/10/2020). Englewood, Chicago. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Englewood,_Chicago&oldid=972211870

NBC Chicago. (05/06/2013). White Flight, By The Numbers. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/white-flight-by-the-numbers/1951412/

Lee, Jenny. (06/27/2016). Why West Englewood has high unemployment. SJNN. Retrieved 08/23/2020 from https://sjnnchicago.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2016/06/27/west-englewood-high-unemployment-jenny-lee/

Arthur, Rob. (01/25/2017). Chicago’s Murder Rate Is Rising, But It Isn’t Unprecedented. Five-Thirty-Eight. Retrieved 08/30/2020 from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/chicagos-murder-rate-is-rising-but-it-isnt-unprecedented/

How Not to Get Murdered

Grant Makers in Health. (July 2017). Domestic Violence: A Public Health Priority. Retrieved 8/23/2020 from https://www.gih.org/publication/domestic-violence-a-public-health-priority/

The Hotline.org. For any victims and survivors who need support, we are here for you, 24/7. Call 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 for TTY, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
https://www.thehotline.org/resources/victims-and-survivors/

There are also international help lines, and helplines that are culturally specific. For example there is an indigenous people domestic violence help line, the StrongHearts Native Helpline 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483), a safe domestic violence and dating violence helpline for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Womens’ Shelters in Canada https://endvaw.ca/resources/

Shout Outs

Divas & Tea Podcast
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1217258

The Butters
https://getthebutters.com/

Happy Face Presents: Two Face Podcast https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/how-stuff-works/happy-face

Lovecraft Country on HBO https://www.hbo.com/lovecraft-country

Lovecraft Country Radio (Podcast) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/pineapple-street-media/lovecraft-country-radio/e/76735837

Crimelines Podcast
https://www.basementfortproductions.com/crimelines-about

Music

“Abyss” by Alasen: ●https://soundcloud.com/alasen●https://twitter.com/icemantrap ●https://instagram.com/icemanbass/●https://soundcloud.com/therealfrozenguy●
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

“All Units Respond” and “Precinct Lullaby” by Marlene Miller.
Used with permission. Facebook and Instagram: SEMNCHY; email: marlenemiller138@gmail.com

“Furious Freak” by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3791-furious-freak
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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