Illinois Prison Review Board Members Resign After Granting Release To Man Who Then Fatally Stabbed An 11-year-Old, Injured His Mother

Illinois governor JB Pritzker announced the resignation of a member of the state’s prisoner review board this week, about 10 days after a man who was released on parole was charged with attacking a former girlfriend and killing her 11-year-old son.

LeAnn Miller recommended the release of Crosetti Brand and conducted the hearing that resulted in him being granted parole, according to the governor’s office. 

AS ESSENCE previously reported, Brand is accused of stabbing Laterria Smith and killing her 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins, as the child was trying to defend her in their Chicago apartment on March 13, officials said during a news conference held two days after the incident. 

During a news conference, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said the violent attack “should not have happened” because Brand had previously violated protection orders. “He has three orders of protection violations against him,” according to Snelling. 

Snelling said Brand had been released on parole the day before the attack, noting the suspect was “still serving a 16-year sentence for home invasion where he caused injury.”

Antoinette Ursitti, the chief of Chicago’s Bureau of Detectives, said during the March 15 news conference that this was the suspect’s second time on parole, CNN reported.

Brand was reportedly sent back to jail after he made threats to Smith vis text with whom he had a relationship over 15 years ago, and showed up at her home. He has now been charged with nine felony counts, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

The Prisoner Review Board stated that they were unaware of Smith’s efforts to obtain an order of protection at the time of Brand’s parole hearing. “At the time of (Brand’s) hearing, the Prisoner Review Board did not have any information to indicate that the victim was currently petitioning for an Order of Protection at the trial court level or any pending hearings associated with her petition. This is not information generally provided to the Board. As a result, the PRB was not able to take that new, important information into consideration,” the statement read.

The Governor expressed his commitment to implementing additional safeguards and training to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Additionally, the review board chair, Donald Shelton, announced his resignation, although it is unclear if it is directly related to the incident.

A fundraiser for Jayden’s family Jayden Perkins’ family setup by the 11-year-old’s school described him as “an exceptional young man” with a passion for theater and a kind heart that touched the lives of everyone he met. “He was known for his love of spending time with friends, playing sports, and performing. His infectious laughter and kind heart touched the lives of everyone he met,” it states.

The community mourns Jayden’s loss and calls for improved procedures to prevent such devastating events from occurring again.