The chair of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and a board member have resigned following public backlash over the release of a man who went on to fatally stab his ex-girlfriend’s young son, reports the NY Post.
Donald Shelter, the board chair, and LeAnn Miller, a board member, stepped down on Monday after 11-year-old Jayden Perkins was murdered on March 13. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after the man was granted parole. Crosetti Brand, 37, allegedly attacked Jayden and his mother, Laterria Smith, at their home in Edgewater.
Smith survived the attack but suffered a stab wound to her neck. Miller had reportedly approved Brand’s parole the day before the incident, which has caused widespread outrage because Smith had previously sought an order of protection against Brand. A hearing was scheduled for March 13, but the attack occurred before it took place.
The Illinois Department of Corrections and the Prisoner Review Board claim they were unaware of the hearing, though emails suggest otherwise.
“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,”
Gov. JB Pritzker said.
Brand was paroled in October but was sent back to prison in February after threatening a woman via text. He now faces a murder charge and other violations in connection with Jayden’s death.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
