CHICAGO (United States of America): The estranged brother- in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson was arrested and will be charged with the October slayings of three of her relatives, the police said on Monday.

"We have obtained an arrest warrant for William Balfour. He was released to Chicago detectives," Chicago
Police Department spokesman Monique Bond said, adding that Balfour would be charged with three counts of murder.

Balfour, 27, who had been married to Hudson's sister Julia, was questioned after the slayings but was not charged.

He had been imprisoned for violating his parole for a previous attempted- murder conviction, and was scheduled to have a hearing today. Ms Bond would not give details about what evidence led the police to charge him with the shooting deaths of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57; brother, Jason Hudson, 29; and seven-year-old nephew,
Julian King. Ms Donerson and Mr Hudson were found shot to death on Oct 24 in Ms Donerson's South Side home.

Four days later, King's body was found in a stolen sport utility vehicle parked at the city's West Side. A handgun used in the slayings was found nearby. The Chicago Tribune reported that investigators had evidence that Balfour had a gun which matched the weapon used.

After the slayings, Jennifer Hudson had returned to Chicago and identified King's body at themorgue. Hudson got her big break in 2005, when she competed on United States television show American Idol, although she failed to reach the final.

She later won the role of Effie White in the 2006 film version of stage musical Dreamgirls, and earned a best-supporting-actress Oscar for her performance. She has since appeared in the movie version of Sex And The City and The Secret Life Of Bees, which opens in Singapore this weekend.