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Crosetti Brand Found Guilty in Murder of 11-Year-Old Jayden Perkins

Spurring calls for parole reform, the verdict underscores failures in domestic violence protections

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Laterria Smith leaves the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on May 12, 2025, after testifying in the murder trial of Crosetti Brand, who is accused of killing Smith’s son, Jayden Perkins. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • Crosetti Brand was convicted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery for the March 13, 2024 attack in his ex-partner’s Edgewater home.
  • Jurors deliberated for an hour and 20 minutes after a disorderly, weeks-long trial in which Brand chose to represent himself and frequently clashed with witnesses and court staff.
  • Prosecutors presented evidence showing Brand broke into Laterria Smith’s apartment just hours after his parole, armed with a knife and intent to kill the woman who had rejected him.
  • Laterria Smith, then four months pregnant, survived being stabbed 15 times while her 11-year-old son Jayden was killed as he tried to protect her.
  • The case prompted two resignations from the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and led lawmakers to advance legislation securing victim impact statements and protective orders at parole hearings.