Chicago, Illinois – The governor of Illinois announced today the resignation of a member of the state’s prisoner review board following a tragic incident where a man released on parole was charged with attacking his former girlfriend and killing her 11-year-old son. The member, LeAnn Miller, recommended the release of the suspect, Crossetti Brand, who was later granted parole. Brand is accused of stabbing Laterria Smith and fatally injuring her son, Jayden Perkins, in their Chicago apartment on March 13.
During a news conference, it was revealed that Brand had violated protection orders in the past, making the violent attack even more devastating. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling expressed that Brand should not have been able to commit such a heinous crime, given his history of protection order violations. Additionally, Brand had been released on parole the day before the attack, despite serving a 16-year sentence for a previous offense.
Antoinette Ursitti, the chief of Chicago’s Bureau of Detectives, disclosed during the news conference that this was Brand’s second time on parole. The suspect was taken back into custody for a parole violation after making threats to the victim, who had previously been in a relationship with him. Brand now faces nine felony charges, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board released a statement indicating that at the time of Brand’s parole hearing, they were unaware of the victim’s pending petition for an Order of Protection. The lack of crucial information in the decision-making process drew criticism from Governor JB Pritzker, who expressed his commitment to implementing additional safeguards to prevent similar tragedies.
Later, the governor announced the resignation of the review board’s chair, Donald Shelton, signaling a potential shakeup within the board following the tragic events. Shelton had served the state in his role for over a decade, but his departure raises questions about the board’s handling of parole decisions in cases involving domestic violence. Governor Pritzker stated that it was evident that more thorough consideration and attention to detail were necessary to protect victims of domestic violence in the future.