Chicago authorities have confirmed the tragic news, which brings the upsetting number of deaths in Jennifer Hudson’s family to three. The body of the young African American boy found on Monday in an abandoned SUV has been identified as that of the Academy Award-winning actress’ 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.

Police Superintendent Jody Weis told reporters at a press conference that the remains found in the vehicle belonged to Julian King and that the SUV was “towed and taken in for forensic processing.”

The announcement was made soon after singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, along with her family, took a look at the body of the little boy and confirmed his identity.

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Tuesday.

According to the New York Daily News, Sean Howard, a spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said that Jennifer Hudson appeared to be strong, as she did not crumple under the sorrow that would have devastated even the most powerful person. “She was just brilliant and strong,” Sean Howard said, adding that the actress ultimately told him to ask the “general public to respect my family’s privacy.”

Although a police spokesman said that Julian King was shot several times, he explained that further information would be offered after the autopsy by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Jody Weis said at the press conference that officials and detectives would continue their investigations and would do their best to find and charge the person or people responsible for the murder of Julian King, as well as the killings of Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother.

When his body was discovered, the 7-year-old boy had been missing for about four days, as he disappeared the same day when Darnell Donerson, the actress’ 57-year-old mother, and Jason Hudson, Donerson’s 29-year-old son, were found shot to death at their residence. Julian King, the child of Julia Hudson, Jennifer’s sister, was at his grandmother’s home when he vanished and police issued an Amber Alert for him after he had gone missing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also joined the search, which included the hunt of a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban.

Officials located the car on Monday morning, after being called in about a suspicious parked vehicle in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue on Chicago’s West Side.

The body of the boy was found in the SUV, which belonged to his murdered uncle.

Jennifer Hudson had established a reward fund of $100,000 for her nephew’s safe return.

William Balfour, Julia Hudson’s estranged husband, was detained by police on Friday as a “person of interest.” In spite of the fact that officials have not filed any charges against him, he continues to be in police custody. He was moved on Sunday to the Illinois Department of Corrections due to parole violation, “unrelated to this investigations.”

According to the Department of Corrections’ Web site, William Balfour is on parole after spending several years behind bars for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking, as well as possessing a stolen vehicle. He was released from prison approximately two years ago.