William Balfour was found guilty of the murders of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, brother Jason Hudson and seven-year-old nephew Julian King yesterday (May 11), bringing some justice and closure to J-Hud and her family. In light of the verdict, the 'Dream Girls' star and her sister, Julia, have released a statement about the trial.

Jennifer and Julia Hudson not only expressed their vindication at Balfour's verdict, but also expressed a prayer to his family. Balfour is facing life in prison for the murders, which took place on Oct. 24, 2008. It's a move that required a lot of strength and compassion, seeing as things got tense between the families in the courtroom. At one point during testimony, Jennifer looked back at Balfour’s mother, who snapped, “What the hell is she looking at?”

E! News obtained the statement, which reads:

"We have many people to thank but our first thank you is to God, always.

"We are so grateful to prosecutors James McKay, Jennifer Bagby and Veryl Gambino and State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and her team for their dedication and tireless work from the beginning. We have the best police department, and they have been with us every step of the way. We thank all of the State's witnesses who came forward on our behalf. We have felt the love and support from people all over the world and we're very grateful.

"We want to extend a prayer from the Hudson family to the Balfour family," they continued. "We have all suffered terrible loss in this tragedy. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). It is our prayer that the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts and bring his heart into repentance someday."

Balfour's charges include three counts of first-degree murder as well as aggravated kidnapping (stemming from his snatching and murder of Julian King), residential burglary, home invasion and possession of a stolen vehicle (Jason Hudson's SUV). Over 80 witnesses and 500 pieces of evidence were submitted in the case.

The drama may not be over yet, however: Balfour's attorney has announced that Balfour will be requesting an appeal of his convictions based on courtroom "issues" that the defense team will have to "take a look at."

The Prosecutor and Defense Attorney of the Jennifer Hudson Murder Trial Speak Out

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