A little over a year ago, Chicago was stunned by the stabbing death of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins in a case that drew scrutiny over safeguards meant to protect domestic violence victims.
The details were shocking, even for a city that regularly experiences violence: Jayden was killed as he tried to protect his pregnant mother from a man with a documented history of abusing her and another woman just a day after he was released from prison, police and prosecutors alleged.
On Friday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, the parties are scheduled to begin picking the jury that will hear the case against Crosetti Brand, who is charged with murder, attempted murder and other felonies for the March 2024 attack at an Edgewater apartment.
The case is going to trial at a nearly unheard of speed. Murder cases in particular often take years to be resolved, and Cook County is especially slow. By contrast, the longest-serving inmate in the Cook County Jail awaiting trial has been booked since 2011.
The primary reason for the quickness is Brand’s decision to represent himself against experienced prosecutors – an unusual and often-discouraged decision.
Brand demanded a speedy trial, causing the state to expedite the process of turning over evidence.
“Oftentimes in cases like this where you are dealing with different agencies, (evidence production) can take a year, 18 months,” Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak said during a hearing last summer. “We’ve fast-tracked everything.”
Brand’s self-representation has had times caused headaches in the courtroom, as he often appeared to misunderstand court rules and legal procedure. Nonetheless, he has a constitutional right to go that route.
The attack unfolded around 7:45 a.m. in the 5900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue. Jayden’s mother, Laterria Smith, was on the phone with her mother while getting ready to take Jayden and his 5-year-old brother to school.
Brand, prosecutors have alleged, forced his way inside as she unlocked her front door getting ready to leave. On the other end of the phone call, Smith’s mother heard her yell “No C.O.” as she was attacked, referring to Brand’s nickname, prosecutors said.
Jayden was stabbed as he tried to help his mother, who survived the attack.
Smith, who was engaged to someone else, was in a romantic relationship with Brand more than 15 years ago. Brand has racked up multiple convictions for battering her, threatening her and her mother and violating orders of protections, court records show.
He also has been convicted of battering other women.
In 2013, Brand pleaded guilty to charges of domestic battery for punching a woman, who had recently ended a relationship with him, hard enough to knock her unconscious and leave her bleeding from the mouth.
Later, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison in a November 2015 attack on another woman, who had recently ended a relationship with him, according to court documents. He also threatened her son when he tried to intervene.
Brand was released from prison in October 2023, and according to prosecutors, resumed his harassment of Smith. In the weeks proceeding the attack, he sent her a text message threatening her and her family and showed up at her apartment.
He rang the doorbell multiple times and tried to pull the door handle out of the door, prosecutors have said. Smith contacted the parole board, and he was sent back to prison.
Court records show that Smith sought an emergency order of protection against Brand after that incident, but it was dismissed on the day she was attacked.
On March 12, 2024, Brand was released from prison. The next day, March 13, is when he allegedly attacked Smith and Jayden.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board’s controversial release of Brand – who had been re-incarcerated after he was accused of violating the terms of his parole – led to the resignation of two members and spurred Gov. J.B. Pritzker to create a new position on the board.
