9:32 AM EDT 7/25/2012
William Balfour, 31, the man who savagely murdered Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew back in October 2008, will be serving three consecutive life sentences.
During sentencing, judge Charles Burns, scolded the convict, saying. "You have the heart of an arctic night," and also referring to his soul "as barren as dark space."
Hudson sat in a somber state next to her sister, Julia Hudson, Balfour's ex-wife and mother of his youngest victim, 7-year-old Julian King.
"My deepest prayers goes out to Julian King." Was Balfour's final words in the Chicago courtroom.
"I loved him," he continued. "I still love him. I'm innocent, your honor."
To which the judge replied, "The fact that you can stand in court and tell us you love that child is an insult to all of us."
Julia Hudson discovered the bodies of her family in their South Side Chicago home, and was forced to make this devastating 911 call:
"Somebody's killed my mother! Somebody's killed my mother! Please!" she screamed. "Please help me! Please ... please send an ambulance, yes! Please!"
"I just got home from work and there's a bullet ... there's a bullet hole in our front door," she reported, gasping for air. "She's on the floor, I see blood coming from her head ... I didn't touch her, I just ran out of the house."