Closing arguments to begin in murder trial of Crosetti Brand, accused of stabbing pregnant woman and killing her son
Closing arguments are set for Thursday in the murder trial of Crosetti Brand, who is accused of stabbing an 11-year-old boy and seriously injuring the boy's pregnant mother in March 2024.
Brand, 39, is charged with 17 counts, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery, home invasion and domestic battery. His jury trial began last month.
He is accused of going to his pregnant ex-girlfriend Laterria Smith's apartment in the Edgewater neighborhood in March 2024, and stabbing her in the neck. When her son, Jayden Perkins, tried to intervene to protect her, Brand allegedly stabbed him in the chest.
Smith, 33, was critically wounded, but survived. Her son died.
Brand has said Smith attacked him, and he was acting in self-defense, and has denied killing Perkins.
Smith sought an order of protection against Brand in February 2024, despite him going back to prison for violating his parole, including by trying to break into her home weeks before. The request for the order of protection was denied.
Meantime, Brand was granted parole on March 12, the day before he allegedly stabbed Smith and her son – hours before a scheduled hearing on her case.
In the wake of Smith's death, Illinois Prisoner Review Board chairman Donald Shelton and board member LeAnn Miller resigned amid the revelation the board had approved Brand's parole the day before Smith was killed.
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