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A jury is set to begin deliberations to decide the fate of William Balfour, the man accused of killing Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew in 2008.

Closing arguments wrapped up in a Chicago courtroom on Wednesday afternoon after a two-and-a-half-week trial, which kicked off with the Oscar winner taking the stand as the first witness and giving emotional testimony against Balfour. After closing statements concluded on both sides, jurors took a break before receiving instructions from the judge.

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The defense told jurors during closing arguments that prosecutors had failed to prove their case and were asking the jury to "throw your logic away." Prosecutors countered that they had presented "overwhelming circumstantial evidence" that Balfour was the killer and they showed jurors photos of the victims' bloody bodies juxtaposed with pictures of them alive.

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Balfour pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the October 2008 slayings. Prosecutors alleged that the suspect shot the family members in a jealous rage because Jennifer's sister Julia broke up with him and began dating another man.

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During her testimony, Hudson fought back tears as she told jurors how she always disliked Balfour and was distraught when her sister told her she planned to marry him.