A member of Illinois’ Prisoner Review Board is resigning from their position. Turns out she was behind the release of a convicted felon who is accused of stabbing an 11-year-old Black boy a day after his parole release.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the resignation of Prisoner Review Board member LeAnn Miller who he said conducted the hearing on 37-year-old Crosetti Brand, a convicted felon who made parole the day before allegedly launching an attack on his ex-girlfriend and her son. Police say on March 13, Brand forced his way inside the woman’s home as she got her two boys ready for school and assaulted her with a knife. Her 11-year-old, Jayden, tried to stop the attack and suffered fatal injuries as a result.
The investigation into the stabbing revealed the woman made several legal attempts to protect herself from Brand. Last month, she requested an emergency order of protection but the hearing for the order was delayed to the very day of the attack, according to a WGN 9 News report.
Despite the multiple death threats the woman claims she received from Brand, he was still granted parole after spending 16 years in prison for home invasion and aggravated assault, per USA TODAY.
“It is clear that evidence in this case was not given the careful consideration that victims of domestic violence deserve and I am committed to ensuring additional safeguards and training are in place to prevent tragedies like this from happening again. My thoughts are with Laterria Smith as she recovers and with the entire family of Jayden Perkins as we mourn this tragic loss—may his memory be a blessing,” said the governor in his announcement.
In response to the incident and the board member’s resignation, the governor said he asked the PRB to collaborate with experts and local advocates to expand the training on handling domestic violence cases moving forward.