American Idol Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother murdered.

On October 24, 2008, Hudson's fifty-seven year old mother, Darnell, and twenty-nine year old brother, Jason, were found murdered inside Darnell's home in Chicago, Illinois. The victims were reportedly shot to death before 3 p.m. They were discovered by a family cousin. An AMBER Alert was also issued for Hudson's seven year old nephew, Julian King, after Hudson's sister, Julia, reported him missing. William Balfour, who is married to Julia, is a suspect in the double homicide, but has not been charged

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American actress, singer and model. She first gained notice as one of the finalists on the third season of the FOX television series American Idol. She went on to star as Effie White in the 2006 motion picture adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls for which she won numerous awards including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA and a SAG Award.