Chicago, Illinois – The governor of Illinois announced the resignation of a member of the state’s prisoner review board. This comes 10 days after a parolee was charged with a horrific crime involving the attack on a former girlfriend and the tragic death of her 11-year-old son.
The parolee, Crosetti Brand, was released based on the recommendation of LeAnn Miller, a member of the review board who conducted his parole hearing. Brand is accused of stabbing Laterria Smith and killing her 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins, in their Chicago apartment. The tragic incident occurred on March 13, leading to shock and outrage in the community.
During a news conference held two days after the attack, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling revealed that Brand had a history of violating protection orders. Despite this, Brand was released on parole the day before the deadly assault, while still serving a 16-year sentence for a previous violent crime.
This was not Brand’s first time on parole, as mentioned by Antoinette Ursitti, the chief of Chicago’s Bureau of Detectives during the news conference. Brand had a prior parole violation after threatening the victim, Laterria Smith. Following text messages and a visit to her residence, Brand was taken back into custody for the parole violation.
Subsequent investigations revealed that crucial information regarding Smith’s petition for an Order of Protection was not brought to the attention of the Prisoner Review Board during Brand’s hearing. This oversight highlighted a failure to consider vital details that could have prevented the tragic outcome of the parolee’s actions.
Governor JB Pritzker expressed his commitment to implementing additional measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Consequentially, the resignation of the review board’s chair, Donald Shelton, was announced. Shelton’s departure signifies the acknowledgment of systemic failures that must be addressed to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals involved in the parole system.