An Illinois man will spend the rest of his life in prison after murdering an 11-year-old boy who was protecting his pregnant mother during an attack the day after he was released.
Crosetti Brand, 39, was found guilty in June of first-degree murder of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins, as well as attempted murder and domestic battery on Jayden’s mother during a 2024 home invasion in Chicago. On Tuesday, a Cook County judge sentenced Brand to life in prison for murder and 120 years for attempted murder, domestic battery, and home invasion, according to local ABC affiliate WLS.
According to prosecutors, Brand and Jayden’s mother began dating when they were teenagers. Brand was almost immediately abusive, and she had been attempting to obtain a protective order against him, including in the days preceding their fatal encounter following his prison release. On March 13, 2024, Brand stormed into the victim’s apartment with a knife, declaring, “If I can’t have you, nobody can.”
He immediately began stabbing the pregnant woman, 15 times in total. That’s when Jayden rushed to her aid. Brand stabbed him in the chest and killed him. Jayden’s mother has survived.
Tuesday’s sentencing hearing was emotional. Jayden’s mother addressed both her assailant and her son’s killer.
“You have taken away one of the greatest gifts God has blessed me with,” she said, according to NBC affiliate WMAQ. “I am broken without my son.”
Brand declined to attend the hearing in person, instead choosing to listen in via Zoom.
Jayden’s father, Christopher Perkins, expressed his displeasure and called him out for not showing up to court.
“I know you in this building somewhere, boy,” he said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The judge briefly kicked Perkins out of the courtroom after determining that a portion of his statement constituted a threat. Perkins eventually returned and apologized to the judge.
“I miss my baby, brother. “It’s ridiculous,” he said. “There’s not going to be much relief. We still miss my baby. “It’s just a little closure for us.”
Brand didn’t seem to be patient as the judge handed down his sentence.
“You gonna give me life anyway, so it’s like why the f— am I sticking around?” he reportedly said before logging off.
Jayden’s murder had consequences beyond Brand. As previously reported by Law&Crime, the judge who denied Jayden’s mother’s protective order against Brand prior to the murder was reassigned from hearing domestic violence cases.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, two parole board members who granted Brand’s release from prison resigned, and Illinois lawmakers passed legislation allowing victims to file impact statements before parole hearings.
