William Balfour, person of interest in Hudson family murders, has previous convictions

Balfour, who has not lived at the Yale house since May, was paroled in 2006 after convictions for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and receiving stolen property, state records show. He spent nearly seven years in prison.

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said Sunday morning that Balfour, Julia Hudson's estranged husband, had been transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections and is being held for parole violations from his attempted murder conviction. The transfer was not related to Friday's murder or kidnapping investigation, Bond added.

Balfour is on parole for attempted murder and vehicular hijacking. Cook County court records show he pleaded guilty in 1999 to attempted murder and vehicular hijacking. He also was convicted in a 1998 case of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, records show. He was released from the Illinois River Correctional Center in Downstate Canton in May 2006 after serving seven years in prison.

"His parole was violated due to the allegations made against him," said IDOC spokeswoman Januari Smith. "That he is a person of interest in the homicides as well as the kidnapping."
 

Mr Balfour and Julia Hudson had been separated for some time, his family members said.

A family friend said Mr Balfour recently had threatened to take his stepson away.

Despite being transferred into state custody, Balfour remains a suspect in the murder cases, sources said. Balfour's alibi for the day of the murders has been contradicted by his girlfriend, law enforcement sources said. Balfour's mother, Michele, said the man was with his girlfriend the day of the murders. A family member of the girlfriend said police have been talking with her.

Police arrived at the Suburban with Illinois license plate X584859 before 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue, after receiving a call of a suspicious vehicle.

It was found by a 75-year-old who lives on the block, John Louden. He said he has lived on the block for 18 years and worried about people selling drugs in the abandoned building behind it. 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.

It is believed Balfour was near the Hudson house at about 9 a.m. Friday ‹ right around the time neighbors reported hearing gunfire.

But Balfour's mother, Michele Davis Balfour, defended her son for a second day, saying she does not believe he was at the house Friday or involved with the killings. She said her son, a baker, was in contact with her and his sister throughout the day. Balfour, she said, has never used guns.

Balfour's mother did say, however, that her son's marriage had fallen apart and that he'd talked of divorce two weeks ago. Neighbors also confirm that Balfour and Julia Hudson were at odds lately.