Who Is Suspected Hudson Killer Balfour?

Oct. 28, 2008— -- A person of interest in the murders of three members of Jennifer Hudson's family was arrested in June for drug possession, according to documents obtained by ABCNews.com, but state officials said the arrest did not warrant revoking his parole.

William Balfour has been out on parole since May 2006, after serving seven years in Illinois state prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Balfour was arrested in June for possession of a controlled substance containing cocaine. Records show that the court dismissed the case in July for lack of probable cause.

Derek Schnapp, a public information officer for the Illinois Department of Corrections, said Balfour's parole was not revoked in June because "the information we were given at the time did not constitute a parole violation."

According to the Associated Press, Balfour missed a scheduled meeting with his parole agent on Friday, the day Hudson's mother and brother were killed and her 7-year-old nephew went missing. No one has been charged in connection with the deaths.

Around the time the first bodies were found, Balfour's parole agent reached him by phone after Balfour missed the meeting with him that day. Balfour told the agent he was "baby-sitting on the West Side of Chicago," according to parole documents obtained by the AP.

The agent said he thought he heard a child in the background during the call. Balfour was taken into custody later Friday.

Hudson's nephew, Julian King, was found dead Monday and the medical examiner today ruled his death a homicide from multiple gunshot wounds.

Balfour is the estranged husband of Julian's mother and Hudson's sister, Julia. Illinois state police are currently holding him on a technical parole violation, but Schnapp would not elaborate on the nature of the violation.

No one has been charged in the killings as police continue to investigate.

Meanwhile, records obtained by ABCNews.com reveal Balfour's long criminal history and childhood marked by a father and brother also serving time in prison.

A slight man with long hair often worn in braids, Balfour, whose street name is "Flex," grew up in Chicago, where he became a member of the violent Gangster Disciples gang, according to court documents.

His trouble with the law began at age 15 when he was charged with possession of marijuana and sentenced to detention. He later racked up other charges for drug possession and criminal trespass to a vehicle.

In 1997, he was placed in a group home downstate in Urbana, Ill., where he attended 10th grade for two months before returning to Chicago and dropping out of school.

Balfour described his childhood as "OK" in court documents. He lived with his mother, a UPS employee, older brother Raymond Jr. and a half sister, Sensuous Alexander. His father, Raymond, did not live with the family and served a 30-year sentence for murder in Illinois state prison. Balfour's brother also served time on cocaine charges and probation violation.

On Nov. 29, 1998, Balfour attempted to hijack a 1988 Chevrolet Suburban. The truck's owner, Charles Gardner, tried to stop him by jumping on top of the vehicle. Balfour gunned the truck, ramming it into a light post and fences to try to dislodge Gardner. He led police on a chase through several blocks before jumping out of the truck.

After a brief foot chase, police arrested Balfour and he was charged with attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Because he was 18, Balfour was eligible to be tried as an adult. He was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison in October 1999. He was paroled in May 2006.

Had Balfour's parole been revoked after his 2008 arrest, the state parole review board could have sent him back to prison.