Bolingbrook Man Found Guilty in 2010 New Year’s Day Murder of Ex-Wife

After about two hours of deliberation, a jury found a man guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder in the 2010 New Year's Day killing of his ex-wife.

Jerry L. Hudson, 51, faces a minimum sentence of 45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the murder of Melissa Bridgewater, 45, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

As Bridgewater left a local hotel where she had spent the evening celebrating New Year’s Eve around 6:30 p.m. Jan. 1, 2010, officials said Hudson ran his car into her car to prevent her from leaving the parking lot. Authorities said Hudson then approached Bridgewater’s vehicle and shot her six times—three times in the head and three times in the back—while she sat in the car.

Hudson then fled the scene and threw the murder weapon into a drainage canal, according to the State's Attorney's Office. The murder weapon was never recovered.

On Jan. 4, 2010, then DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett approved first-degree murder charges against Hudson. The following day, Hudson turned himself in to authorities.

Officials said Hudson claimed he shot Bridgewater in self-defense.

“On New Year’s Day 2010, Jerry Hudson shot his ex-wife Melissa Bridgewater six times as she sat helpless in her car,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin said in a news release. “While today’s guilty verdict cannot fill the void left in the hearts of Melissa’s family and friends, perhaps it will help them gain some measure of closure knowing that the man responsible for Melissa’s death will be held accountable. I thank the jury for seeing through Mr. Hudson’s ridiculous claim of self defense and for seeing him for what he is, a cold-blooded killer. I thank Judge Guerin for ensuring a fair trial for both sides and I would also like to thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Mary K. Cronin and Mike Fisher for their pursuit of justice in the name of Melissa Bridgewater.”

In addition to the first-degree murder charges, the jury also found that Hudson personally discharged the weapon that caused Bridgewater's death, making him subject to a 25-year penalty enhancement.

His next court appearance is scheduled for March 27 for filing of post-trial motions and return of the pre-sentence report.