In the quiet Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, a heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on March 13, 2024, that would forever change the lives of a family and galvanize a community. Eleven-year-old Jayden Perkins, a boy remembered for his radiant smile and boundless courage, lost his life in a selfless act of bravery, stepping in to shield his pregnant mother, Laterria Smith, from a vicious attack by her ex-boyfriend, Crosetti Brand. What followed was a story of unimaginable loss, systemic failures, and a long-awaited reckoning in a courtroom where justice was finally served.

Jayden Perkins was no ordinary child. At just 11 years old, he carried a spirit that lit up every room. A student at Peirce Elementary and a beloved member of the Gus Giordano Dance School, Jayden was known for his infectious joy, tireless work ethic, and a smile that could melt hearts. His dance troupe described him as a “bright light,” a boy whose determination and warmth touched everyone around him. But on that fateful morning, Jayden’s bright future was stolen in an act of unthinkable violence.

Crosetti Brand, a 39-year-old convicted felon with a long history of domestic abuse, had been released from prison on parole just one day earlier, on March 12, 2024. His release came despite a chilling record of violence, including a 16-year sentence for home invasion and aggravated assault against another ex-partner and her son in 2015. Brand’s relationship with Laterria Smith, Jayden’s mother, was marked by decades of abuse, beginning when she was just a teenager. Over the years, Smith had repeatedly sought protection, filing multiple orders of protection against Brand, who violated them with alarming frequency. In February 2024, she had once again pleaded for an emergency order of protection after Brand showed up at her home, ringing her doorbell and pulling on the door handle. Tragically, her request was denied, and the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, unaware of her ongoing fears, approved Brand’s parole.

On that March morning, as Smith prepared to take her children to school, Brand lay in wait outside her apartment in the 5900 block of North Ravenswood Avenue. Dressed in black and wearing a mask, he forced his way inside, driven by what prosecutors described as “rage, jealousy, and violence.” He grabbed Smith in a chokehold and stabbed her 15 times, targeting her neck and body in a frenzied attack. As she fought for her life, Jayden, hearing his mother’s cries, rushed to her defense. In a moment of unimaginable courage, the 11-year-old tried to pull Brand off his mother. But Brand turned the knife on Jayden, delivering a fatal blow to the boy’s chest that severed his carotid artery. Jayden’s 5-year-old brother witnessed the horrifying scene, left with trauma that would linger long after the blood was cleaned from their home.

Smith, critically wounded but clinging to life, survived the attack, as did her unborn daughter, thanks to Jayden’s heroic intervention. “Jayden is the hero out of all of this,” said Titus Washington, Smith’s uncle, his voice heavy with pride and sorrow. “He saved his mother and his brand-new sister’s life.”

The aftermath of the attack sent shockwaves through Chicago and beyond, exposing glaring failures in the systems meant to protect victims of domestic violence. Smith had done everything in her power to keep Brand at bay, reporting his threats and violations to authorities and the parole board. Yet, he was released without an electronic monitor, and the courts failed to grant her the protection she desperately sought. The tragedy prompted the resignations of two Illinois Prisoner Review Board members, Donald Shelton and LeAnn Miller, and spurred new legislation in May 2025 to ensure victims could file impact statements before parole hearings and seek orders of protection against parole candidates.

Brand’s trial was a grueling affair, marked by his decision to represent himself, which led to a chaotic and emotionally charged courtroom. Over three weeks, more than 30 witnesses testified, and nearly 300 exhibits were presented. Prosecutors painted a vivid picture of Brand’s calculated intent, revealing chilling text messages where he threatened to kill Smith and her fiancé in front of her children if she pursued another order of protection. “If I can’t have you, nobody can have you,” he told her, words that would haunt the courtroom. Brand, however, denied the murder, outrageously claiming that Smith had stabbed her own son—a claim swiftly debunked by overwhelming evidence, including video footage of him fleeing the scene with the knife in hand.

On June 5, 2025, after less than 90 minutes of deliberation, a jury found Brand guilty on all 17 counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, home invasion, and aggravated domestic battery. The verdict was a small measure of justice for a family shattered by loss, but the pain remained raw.

The sentencing hearing on August 5, 2025, at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse was a moment of catharsis and confrontation. Laterria Smith, her voice steady despite her grief, faced Brand directly. “You have taken away one of the greatest gifts God has blessed me with,” she said, her words piercing the silence. “I will never be OK… You came and destroyed my life.” Jayden’s father, Chris Perkins, expressed his fury, calling out Brand for attending the hearing via Zoom rather than facing the family in person. “I know you in this building somewhere, boy,” he said, his anger briefly landing him in trouble with the judge before he apologized.

Brand, unrepentant to the end, unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade, dismissing the proceedings and logging off the virtual call before Judge Angela Petrone could deliver her ruling. She described Jayden’s murder as “exceptionally brutal” and sentenced Brand to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 120 years for attempted murder, domestic battery, and home invasion. “Nothing will ever rehabilitate this defendant,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Daniel Hanichak. “He is nothing more than a pathetic lifelong criminal.”

For Jayden’s family, the sentence was a bittersweet victory. Smith, now suing the government agencies that released Brand, spoke of her relentless pursuit of accountability. “I want them to admit where they went wrong, the mistakes they made, and how they failed us,” she told reporters, her composure breaking only when videos of Jayden singing and dancing were played in court, a reminder of the vibrant life stolen from her.

The Edgewater community mourned Jayden with vigils and memorials, where over 80 children gathered to honor their friend, a testament to his impact. At Peirce Elementary and Gus Giordano Dance School, his absence left a void that could never be filled. Yet, his legacy endures in the courage he showed and the lives he saved. As Chicago grapples with the systemic failures that allowed this tragedy, Jayden Perkins remains a symbol of love, sacrifice, and the urgent need for change—a boy who, in his final moments, became a hero.