Los Angeles  - Chicago police on Monday arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson as a suspect in the October slaying of her mother, brother and nephew.

William Balfour, 27 had been married to Hudson's older sister and was taken into custody the day after the killings on suspicion of violating parole. He had previously served seven years in prison for attempted murder and vehicular hijacking.

He now faces formal charges for the deaths of Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, brother Jason Hudson and 7-year-old nephew Julian King. (dpa)