Formal charges have been filed against the man Chicago police say killed three members of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson's family.

William Balfour, 27, the lone suspect in the case, was on Tuesday charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.

The bodies of Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were discovered on October 24 at the family's home.

The body of Hudson's nephew, Julian King, was found three days later in a sport utility vehicle.

Balfour is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing on Wednesday, the Cook County state's attorney's office says.

Police worked slowly and methodically, hoping to amass physical evidence against the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, taking time afforded them when Balfour was held for violating his parole.

But the case against him is largely circumstantial, sources say.

Witnesses say they saw Balfour at the family's home on the day of the slayings and mobile phone records tracked his movements.

A girlfriend says Balfour had confessed and that she saw him with a gun that matched the murder weapon.

The motive, sources say, was an ongoing domestic squabble among Balfour, his estranged wife, Julia Hudson, and Hudson's family members.

Family members told police that Balfour, paroled for an attempted murder in 2006, had threatened his estranged wife before and was thrown out of the family home, according to law enforcement sources.

On Monday, two days before Balfour was set to appear before the parole board again, and possibly freed, police arrested him on a warrant for murder.