ILLINOIS BOARD MEMBERS RESIGN AFTER RELEASE OF CHICAGO MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 11 YEAR OLD BOY

The chair of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and a board member have resigned following backlash over granting the release of a man who went on to fatally stab his ex-girlfriend’s young son less than 24 hours after being released from prison, according to Governor Pritzker.

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. Crosetti Brand, 37, attacked Jayden and his mother, Laterria Smith, at their home in Edgewater.

Smith’s 5-year-old son was also in the apartment and witnessed the stabbings, police said.

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. Brand now has been charged with nine felony counts, including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.