Alleged killer had violent background

CHICAGO, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Chicago authorities allege the man charged with killing three members of actress Jennifer Hudson's family came from a violent background.

William Balfour's father was convicted of murder and his mother surrendered him to state care as a child, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday.

Balfour was charged last week with killing Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, the Tribune reported. Hudson is the sister of Balfour's estranged wife Julia.

Balfour spent most of his teenage years in correctional facilities and on the streets and was born in 1981 to a family with an alleged history of violence, drug use and prison time, state welfare sources told the Tribune.

Police allege Balfour fatally shot Hudson's mother and brother in their apartment in Chicago before kidnapping Julia Hudson's son, Julian King, 7, and later shooting him in the head, the Tribune reported, noting Balfour's lawyer has professed his client's innocence.