Mention the term 'domestic violence' and one typically visualizes a man beating a woman -- his fist clenched and the woman cowering in fear. But it is often much worse than that. Some men do more than abuse. They kill who and what is most loved by their intended victim. I know. I started one of the first domestic violence units in the nation as a young prosecutor in 1978 when battered women were considered irrelevant, inconsequential and responsible for their own abuse.

The events of the last few days in Chicago involving the deaths of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew are traumatizing to say the least. Because they involve a celebrity we are focused on them but make no mistake these kinds of events happen on a frequent basis in the civil war that rages across this country by men who kill the women they said they loved.

There is no way to know right now who is responsible for these murders but my prosecutorial antennae are up. Many questions need to be answered:

1) Now that the body of the seven-year-old nephew of Jennifer has been found, forensics will determine whether the same gun was used to kill all three victims.

2) We do not know how many people were involved in the murders. If indeed Balfour (the estranged husband of Jennifer's sister) was taken into custody on Friday, was the seven-year-old dead before that? If not, Balfour could not have done it.

3) What is the history of violence (if any) between Balfour and Jennifer's sister. Were threats made? Were the Chicago police ever called? If so, did they respond? Did they make a domestic violence report? Did Jennifer's sister ever seek an order of protection? Can she tell us the dates and times of any threats? Where any threats made against family members? Was there any abuse by Balfour against the seven-year-old?

4) Balfour was picked up at a girlfriend's house. How long were they dating? Was there a history between her and Jennifer's sister?

5) Several reports have surfaced that police were called on Saturday regarding a white SUV in the area where the boy's body was found. Are those reports legitimate? Did police respond? Was Julian already dead at that point?

6) The autopsy will tell us the approximate time of death. Was Julian alive for long after he was abducted?

7) Reports indicate that the white SUV showed up on Saturday. Is that accurate? If so who moved it if Balfour was in jail? And what took so long to find the vehicle anyway?

8) Does Balfour need to be identified as a suspect now?  There is no rush since Balfour is on parole. He can be violated with little effort. Has he stayed in touch with his parole officer? Has his parole officer monitored him properly? Should he have been paroled in the first place?

9) Put together the forensics, the separation between Jennifer's sister and Balfour, his history of violence (remember he came out of state prison two years ago after serving seven years for attempted murder among other violent crimes) and what Jennifer's sister can tell us and the story will unfold.

10) A man who wants to inflict the ultimate pain on his victim will often kill those most dear to her. Jennifer's sister lost her mother, her brother and her son. The truth will come out soon.

In the end the question will be could this have been prevented and will the murderer receive the ultimate punishment?

The opinions expressed in Jeanine's Journal belong solely to Jeanine Pirro, and do not reflect the opinions or beliefs of the series' producers, AND Syndicated Productions, Inc., its parents and successors, employees, officers, agents, directors, subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates and assigns. Producers are not responsible for the accuracy of any information provided by Ms. Pirro. It is recommended that you consult with an attorney in your area.