A man convicted of domestic abuse, who fatally stabbed an 11-year-old boy as the child tried to protect his pregnant mother, received a life sentence during a dramatic sentencing hearing.

Crosetti Brand, aged 39, was sentenced to life without parole plus an additional 120 years by Cook County Judge Angela Petrone on Tuesday. This came almost 18 months after Jayden Perkins was brutally murdered in Chicago’s Ravenswood area.

In court, Jayden’s mother, Laterria Smith, spoke directly to Brand, expressing her anguish: ‘You have taken away one of the greatest gifts I had from God. I will never be ok… You came and destroyed my life.’

The judge described Jayden as ‘a beautiful, innocent boy’ who died protecting his mother and called the killing ‘exceptionally brutal.’

Despite the gravity of his crime, Brand, who represented himself, displayed no remorse. Appearing virtually from jail, he initially asked to skip the hearing, dismissively telling the judge: ‘You’re going to give me life anyway, so why should I stay around?’

He remained present but frequently disrupted the proceedings with interruptions and objections as prosecutors presented evidence, including a menacing voicemail he left Smith weeks before the attack: ‘You keep moving how you motherf***ing moving… You gonna see what I’m talking about,’ the message stated.

It was also disclosed that Brand had sent Smith graphic autopsy photos of Jayden and made threatening calls from jail. He pressured Smith to drop the charges and threatened Jayden’s father, the prosecutors, and even the judge.

When Petrone finally handed down the sentence, Brand logged off Zoom in defiance, telling her: ‘I know I can’t change your mind… I’m at peace. I’m gonna take it up with the notice of appeal court.’

The tragedy unfolded on March 13, 2024 – just hours after Brand was released from prison – when he broke into Smith’s home and ambushed her and Jayden as they were leaving for school.

According to prosecutors Brand had been lying in wait inside the apartment with clear intent to kill the woman who had rejected him. 

He grabbed Smith in a chokehold and stabbed her 15 times. 

When Jayden stepped in to defend his mom, Brand turned the knife on him.

Jayden died from his injuries. Smith, who was pregnant at the time, survived – as did her unborn daughter.

‘Jayden is the hero out of all of this, because he saved his mother and his brand new sister’s life,’ said Smith’s uncle, Titus Washington. ‘Jayden is the hero.’

Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak blasted Brand as a chronic abuser who had spent nearly his entire adult life either behind bars or facing charges, primarily for violence against women and children.

Brand had only recently completed 8 years of a 16-year sentence for attacking another ex and pointing a gun at her young son. He was released in October 2023. Within months he had began stalking and threatening Smith.

Though Smith repeatedly reported his behavior to authorities and the parole board, Brand was inexplicably released again on March 12. Less than 24 hours later, Jayden was dead.

‘Nothing will ever rehabilitate this defendant; he is nothing more than a pathetic lifelong criminal,’ Hanichak said. ‘What this criminal never counted on is that one 11-year-old boy would put an end to Crosetti Brand’s terror.’

Brand’s self-representation during the trial made proceedings chaotic and painful for the victims’ family, as he was permitted to cross-examine witnesses and even call himself to the stand.

Jurors took less than 90 minutes to convict him on all charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated domestic battery, and home invasion.

The case has since sparked outrage across Illinois and exposed grave flaws in the state’s parole system. 

Two members of the Prisoner Review Board who authorized Brand’s release resigned following the murder, and lawmakers have since passed legislation allowing victims to submit impact statements before parole decisions and seek restraining orders against parole candidates.