Jury selection commenced this Friday in Chicago for the case against 37-year-old Crosetti Brand, the man accused of the tragic stabbing of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins and the severe injuring of his mother, as reported by ABC7 Chicago. Perkins died trying to shield his mother, who was pregnant at the time, from a violent attack in their Edgewater apartment in March of 2024. Brand, who was released on parole just one day prior to the incident, faces 17 charges including first-degree murder, CBS News Chicago notes.
The trial begins amidst public outcry after the revelation that the accused had a history of domestic violence and his ex-girlfriend, Laterria Smith, had unsuccessfully sought a protective order against him, mere weeks before she and her son were attacked, this despite Brand's parole violation which included an attempted break-in at Smith's home earlier; Smith was critically injured in the attack, and her son's valiant efforts to save her led to his untimely death. The heart-wrenching story has compelled the Cook County State's Attorney's Office to prioritize domestic violence cases, particularly following another incident where a woman was killed by her husband, who was then under electronic monitoring.
During the fateful assault, which took place in March last year, Brand is alleged to have initially attempted to stab Smith in the neck and then turned the blade on young Perkins when he intervened, per ABC7 Chicago. Brand's release from parole, just hours before the attack, raised serious questions about the justice system's handling of domestic violence perpetrators and parolees.
As the case unfolds with jury selection already underway, the trial is scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m. at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, as reported by CBS News Chicago; Smith filed a wrongful-death lawsuit asserting that her son's death was preventable, the circumstances surrounding the parolee's reinstatement and Brand's history with the victim sparking a conversation about reforms needed within the criminal justice system especially as it relates to cases involving threats to domestic peace and the community's safety at large.
