CHICAGO -
Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson helped positively identify the body of her young nephew yesterday, hours after he was found with gunshot wounds in a sport-utility vehicle on Chicago's West Side, authorities said.
An autopsy was scheduled to be done on the body of 7-year-old Julian King today at the Cook County medical examiner's office, where Hudson and other relatives went to help identify the remains yesterday afternoon.
A law enforcement source told the Chicago Tribune that the boy had been shot multiple times in the back of the white Chevrolet Suburban. The vehicle had been the subject of an intense search and Amber Alert issued on Friday after Hudson's mother and brother were found shot and killed inside the family's South Side home.
Chicago police took Julian's body to the medical examiner's office shortly after noon, and Hudson and other family members arrived about three hours later, said office spokesman Sean Howard.
When the group entered a viewing room at the office, Hudson held her head down, as if praying, he said. The family then identified Julian via a video screen mounted on a wall that showed his face. The family chose the video screen option rather than looking directly at the body, Howard said.
The family was "obviously distraught," but Howard said Hudson "remained strong for her family. It was very clear she was the leader."
Police found the bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, on Friday afternoon after a family member came to their home and saw signs of violence inside. The murders sparked a manhunt for William Balfour, 27, and a search for Julian.
Police were called shortly after 7 a.m. Monday after a resident reported a suspicious vehicle in the 1300 block of South Kolin Ave. The white Suburban was noticed by John Louden, 75, who lives on the block. He saw the SUV while walking his dog. After a double-take, he realized the license plate matched the one police were looking for.
"I didn't look in there. I didn't touch it. I knew it was a strange vehicle," Louden said. He said police showed up in about five minutes after his wife called them. They discovered the child inside. The body was removed, and the SUV was towed away for evidence processing. "I feel bad about that baby," Louden said.
