Chicago authorities say the 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Cook County spokesman Sean Howard tells The Associated Press that in Tuesday’s autopsy the county’s medical examiner ruled Julian King’s death a homicide.

Howard declined to say where the child suffered wounds or how long he had been dead, citing an ongoing Chicago police investigation.

Julian’s body was found Monday in a white SUV, three days after the bodies of Hudson’s mother and brother were discovered in their home on the city’s South Side.

An Amber Alert was issued for Julian on Friday.

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Jennifer Hudson blogged on MySpace asking for everyone to help find her 7 year old nephew Julian King who has been missing since Friday morning. She also thanked everyone for their prayers. Hopefully her nephew will be returned soon and unharmed. 

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Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson appealed on Sunday for the public’s help in finding her 7-year-old nephew, missing since the shooting deaths of her mother and brother.

City police transferred custody of the man labeled a “person of interest” in the shooting deaths to state authorities.

An Amber Alert remained in effect Sunday for young Julian King, who disappeared on Friday, the day the bodies of his grandmother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and 29-year-old uncle Jason Hudson were found in the home they all shared on the city’s South Side. The deaths were ruled homicides.

The Amber Alert listed William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia Hudson, as a suspect in a “double homicide investigation.” Julia Hudson is the missing boy’s mother

Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond said authorities considered Balfour a “person of interest” in the case but he had not been charged.

Authorities said the search for Julian would be citywide, but on Sunday residents and officers focused their efforts “in the immediate vicinity” of the family’s home in the Englewood section, said police spokesman Dan O’Brien.

Police said they did not have a motive for the killings but called the case “domestic related.”

“There’s a lot of forensic evidence. We have to work the evidence and try and solve this case,” Bond said Sunday. “Most importantly, we want to find the child.”

Bond said no weapon had been found at the Hudson home, a three-story house sandwiched by vacant lots littered with trash. On Sunday, investigators moved in and out of the home and examined the trash.

Police officers were instructed to place fliers with Julian King’s picture and description in every business in the area.

Jennifer Hudson, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls, was in Chicago with her family during the weekend, her sister said. A publicist did not disclose her whereabouts.

In a MySpace blog entry on Sunday, Hudson said she was grateful for community support and posted a picture of her sister’s son.

“Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely,” the blog entry said. “If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately … Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time.”

Bond said Balfour, who had been in police custody since Friday, was transferred Sunday to the Illinois Department of Corrections “based on his active parole violation unrelated to this investigation.”

Records from the corrections department show Balfour, 27, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle.

Corrections spokeswoman Januari Smith said Balfour would likely remain in state custody until the Illinois Prisoner Review Board looked at his case. She would not say exactly where Balfour was being held.

It was unclear if Balfour had an attorney to speak for him Sunday, but his mother, Michele Balfour, has denied that he was involved the killings or in Julian’s disappearance.

During a public plea Saturday for the boy’s return, Julia Hudson described her son as a smart, sensitive and easygoing child.

“He’s not your typical 7-year-old,” she told a crowd at the family’s Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago’s South Side. She was joined by the boy’s father, Greg King.

Hudson said she last saw her son Thursday night when they went out to dinner to celebrate her 31st birthday. Afterward, she said, she took Julian to the home she shared with her mother and brother, handed him to his grandmother and everyone went to sleep.

Julia Hudson said Saturday that she was confident her son was still alive and that she was praying for his return.

“Momma’s looking for you. I’m not going to stop until you come home,” she said.

Jennifer Hudson’s Sister’s Plea: ‘Just Let My Baby Go’

One day after Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were found shot to death in their Chicago home – and her nephew Julian King was kidnapped – the Oscar winner’s sister Julia made an impassioned plea for her son’s return.

“I don’t care who you are, just let the baby go,” Julia Hudson said in a press conference held at the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday. “I just want my son. He don’t deserve this.”

An Amber Alert was issued for the boy, Julian King, 7, on Friday and named Julia Hudson’s estranged husband, William Balfour, 27, as a suspect in the slayings. Balfour is in police custody for questioning, but no charges have been filed.

An autopsy confirmed that Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, died of gunshot wounds.

“It hurts,” Julia Hudson said of her mother and brother’s deaths. “We’re in a state of shock. I don’t know what else to do but pray.”

With the boy’s father, Greg King, by her side, Julia Hudson asked the public to keep an eye out for him, mentioning that he responds to nicknames like “Juice Box” and “Dr. King.” “He’s out there. Just let him go,” she said. Addressing her son, she added: “I love you. Mama’s looking for you.”

Julia added that sister Jennifer, 27, the Oscar-winning star of Dreamgirls and an American Idol alum, had flown in to be by her side as soon as she heard the tragic news. She said that upon hearing the news, Jennifer, “was screaming” and “flew in right away.”

Julian had been at his grandmother’s house on Friday and the two were, Julia said, “extremely close.”

“I worked, so he was always with her, day in and day out,” she said. “She did everything for him. She got him ready for school. She got him ready for bed.”

The Chicago FBI office confirmed to PEOPLE on Sunday that the agency is involved in the search for the boy.

“I can confirm that we have been asked to provide assistance to the Chicago police department to assist in the search for 7-year-old Julian King,” said Ross Rice, special agent and spokesman for the Chicago office of FBI.

When asked whether they had any promising leads, Ross declined to comment. “The key word there is assisting. It is still a Chicago police investigation, both the murder and the kidnapping, and any announcements would be best to come from them.”

And on Sunday morning, Jennifer Hudson updated her MySpace page with recent photos of her nephew and a statement from her family: “Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Here is a picture of Julian and what he was last seen wearing. Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time.”

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Simon Cowell makes a lot more from American Idol than Paula Abdul like more than 5X according to Scoop. Simon reportedly makes $36 and Paula Abdul is to make between $5-8 million. And you know she is not going to like it, especially when she finds out just how much more he makes.

“Paula knew that Simon was getting paid more, but she never imagined it was this much more,” says a source who works with Abdul. “This could really put her in a bad way.”

“She has a lot of concerns with feeling appreciated,” says the source. “First, they bring in another judge (Kara DioGuardi) and now it’s ridiculously obvious that she’s getting pennies compared to Simon. If you thought she had reason to run late to the set now, imagine what the future may hold. I kind of feel for the assistants who are going to be made responsible for getting her on set on time. It’s always a challenge, but now? I don’t want to think about it.”

As for why there’s such a salary discrepancy, Lythgoe told an Australian newspaper it’s because “it is believed (Cowell) brings more to the table.”

In Simon’s defense he is the show and he is the one Judge I can’t live without. That and he also is one of the producers of the show. I think he is worth getting more than her, but I don’t think anyone needs a $36 million salary.

I hate to be Simon when he has to do salary negotiations with her!

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Fox was close to firing the brand new Judge Kara DioGuardi before she even made it to air according to National Enquirer.

FOX execs felt the singer/songwriter/producer came off so “stiff and wooden” during auditions that they seriously considered firing her, an insider told The ENQUIRER.”They said Kara was terrible and amateurish,” the insider revealed. “They wanted to replace her.”

But to save the embarrassment of admitting a bad hire, the execs decided to give Kara another chance - and now she’s finally showing improvement.

FOX has hired speaking and talent coaches to work with Kara, says the source.

But it’s ultimately up to Kara to “get it together.”

 ”If she doesn’t, FOX will then have no other choice but to fire her,” the insider revealed.

I don’t know, but looking at those pictures of her you could tell she wasn’t going to add anything to American Idol. Guess I wasn’t the only one who thought so. I personally don’t think they need a fourth job, but what do I know I am just the person watching the show.

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Jennifer Hudson and boyfriend, David Otunga, have gotten engaged, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“I can confirm that Jennifer got engaged to her boyfriend David on Friday night in L.A.” says the rep.

Otunga, who is known as “Punk” from the reality show I Love New York 2, popped the question with a Neil Lane diamond ring on the Dreamgirls Oscar winner’s 27th birthday.

The couple, who have been dating less than a year, both hail from Chicago.

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The decision to bring Kara DioGuardi onboard the crazy train that is “American Idol” has, for the most part, been one met with support. That said, the reasoning behind adding a fourth judge might be slightly more complex than we’ve be lead to believe.

“They want another female in case Paula misses a taping,” a source close to the show told OK! magazine.

Another “Idol” source confirms that Abdul’s attendance last season was a source of extreme consternation.

“There were so many times they had to cover for Paula during the live shows. She’d just be totally MIA,” says a source who worked closely with Abdul. “We’d joke that the lady’s a flight risk. But really, she loves what she does. She wouldn’t just totally disappear. She’d come back — just maybe not in time for live television.”

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American Idol is adding a fourth judge: Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi.

DioGuardi will appear at the judges’ table with Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on the eighth season of the hit show, which premieres in January.

“We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges’ table,” show creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said in a statement.

DioGuardi’s songs have appeared on more than 100 million records by the likes of Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Pink, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.

The songwriter’s work has also been used by past Idol contestants, including Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, and Clay Aiken.

“She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America’s most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show,” Fuller added.

American Idol was originally slated to have four judges, executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said in the statement announcing the news.

“We’ve seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers,” she explained.

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Clay Aiken became a daddy today, according to what his mom, the proud grandmother told WRAL.

Aiken’s best friend, producer Jaymes Foster, gave birth at 8:08 a.m. at an undisclosed location in North Carolina.

Parker Foster Aiken weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Aiken’s mother, Faye, said the baby has dark hair and that her son is smiling from ear-to-ear.

Say what you want about Clay Aiken, he is going to be one amazing dad!

Here is scary fact Clay Aiken’s son was born on 08/08/08 at 08:08, that is so weird and spooky.  They should have named him Eight instead of Parker. 

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Look, I hate waking up. I hate it even more so when it is anywhere in the 6-7am range. However last April I was fully prepared to do so when Paula Abdul was going to perform on The Today Show. It was going to be on a Friday so my plan was to find a few other like minded individuals and just hide down in the basement all night on Thursday and just push through until the dawn and Paula’s performance. It was going to be great and I even was going to spring for Busch.Then she canceled due to some kind of scheduling issues. What the hell does she do even when Idol is filming? Nothing at all. Don’t let her fool you with some kind of scheduling crap, she doesn’t do jack crap. But, she used the lie, and so it was rescheduled for August. Yep, it’s August right now. So, where the hell is Paula and her performance? Canceled due to her busy schedule.

Ummm. Yeah. Why doesn’t she just come out and say it. Just tell the world she can’t sing, and that her last single was not even close to her voice and that she will look like the worst singer ever if she tries to get on stage and sing at 7am in front of a live audience with some iffy sound equipment.

When she does this kind of thing it just makes the rest of the world want to go back and look at what she did 20 years ago and examine those recordings just a bit more. I mean those records were done at the time of Milli Vanilli, Vanilla Ice and Chocolate, Chocolate. There really isn’t such a group, but there was too much vanilla and not enough chocolate so, had to counter that.

Paula should just focus on sipping her gin and juice and not doing anything dumb while American Idol continues to numb all of us. Give it a few more years and then when the show has run its course, Paula can trot every now and then just so we know she is alive and has the funds necessary to buy and maintain new wigs. We as the public don’t really need much more than that. Yes, it would have been nice to see her make a fool of herself on national television, but that would have only been fun for the first fifty or sixty viewings. After that I would have felt sad. Don’t need to ruin the illusion that was Paula.

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Paula Abdul

Singing star and American Idol Judge Paula Abdul walks down Hollywood Blvd on her way to the World Premiere of Swing Vote in Hollywood, California. Paula’s outfit looks great.

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America’s Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff got off to a rousing start of his second job, scaring tourists on London’s South Bank. Hasseloff explained that he really isn’t scaring the tourists as much as offering them a pleasant surprise and the opportunity to have their picture taken with a celebrity. Hasselhoff did admit that we were a rough patches in the beginning where he popped up from behind the embankment and there was nobody there. Hasselhoff felt a bit embarrassed, but he said that there’s a learning curve with every new venture. Hasselhoff opened to have all the kinks worked out by lunch time on Thursday.

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In the whatever happened to them category, Ruben Studdard, the season 2 winner of American Idol is getting married on Saturday. I couldn’t be happier unless Clay Aiken was one of the bridesmaids. Speaking of attendants, what is too many? Ruben has said that he is going to have 20 groomsmen. 20? That is a hell of a lot of gifts to buy for the wedding party, but I guess they make up for it on the back end in wedding gifts.

When you starting having more than 4 or 5, I think it starts to become almost a show of its own. When you have 20, the line will head all the way to the back of the church. Plus, if you have 20 groomsmen don’t you need 20 bridesmaids as well? Although I’m sure Clay would be willing to do some quick changes and be more than one bridesmaid, lets face it, that is a whole bunch of people. On a positive note, there probably won’t be any ugly fabrics left in the entire state of Alabama once 20 bridesmaids dresses are made.

When you have 40 people in your wedding party plus their significant others your rehearsal dinner must be pushing close to a 100 people. Hello Pizza Hut.

The most I have personally seen is about 10 for each. I remember it took forever for them to all walk down the aisle and there wasn’t enough room for all of them in the front so half had to sit in the front row of the church. Apparently there had been some knock out drag down fight the evening before when they rehearsed because no one could decide who would get to stand and who would get to sit and made the bride and groom choose. Half the people got their feelings hurt and this was just ten for each side. 20 must be outrageous. Congratulations Ruben.
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Second-season American Idol champ Ruben Studdard obtained a marriage license Monday in Alabama, PEOPLE has learned.

Studdard, 29, arrived at the Shelby County Probate Office in Birmingham with fiancée Surata Zuri McCants, 30, just before noon, filled out the paperwork and walked away with their license, an eyewitness says. Studdard is a Birmingham native.

“They looked really happy,” says the eyewitness.

There was no immediate word on when they planned to marry. An Alabama marriage license is valid for 30 days.

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