Overview

• Crosetti Brand, 39, faces 17 charges, including first-degree murder, for the March 2024 stabbing death of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins in Edgewater, Chicago.
• Jayden was fatally stabbed while defending his pregnant mother, Laterria Smith, who survived the attack despite being stabbed 11 times.
• Brand, representing himself in court, has caused disruptions during proceedings, including questioning Smith and clashing with the judge over courtroom procedures.
• Smith and a neighbor have delivered emotional testimony detailing the attack and its aftermath, with Smith identifying Brand as her son’s killer.
• The case has intensified scrutiny of parole and domestic violence protections, following Brand’s release from prison one day before the attack despite prior violations and threats.