Parole board member resigns after releasing man who, hours later, allegedly stabbed 11-year-old boy to death

A member of the state parole board in Illinois has resigned her position after releasing a suspect with a history of violence and stalking who then allegedly attacked his ex-girlfriend and fatally stabbed her son just hours later.

On Monday, 63-year-old LeAnn Miller resigned her position on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board after drafting the decision to release 37-year-old Crosetti Brand back onto the streets late last month.

By all accounts, Brand is a dangerous man who poses a serious threat to society in general and in particular to many people who have had the misfortune of crossing paths with him. According to reports, he has been serially stalking Laterria Smith of Chicago ever since she broke up with him in 2006.

In the years following the breakup, Brand reportedly showed up outside Smith's home and fired a weapon, punched her in the face at a bus stop after she began dating someone else, and even made threatening phone calls to members of her family and threw rocks at their windows. Smith secured a protection order against Brand shortly thereafter.

In 2015, Brand began a sentence for attacking another ex-girlfriend and pointing a gun at her son. He served just half of the 16-year sentence he received in that case and was out on parole last October.

Once out of prison, Brand allegedly began stalking Smith once again. On February 1, Smith called police to report that Brand was outside her home once again, incessantly ringing her doorbell and pulling on the door handle. Though Brand initially turned himself in, he insisted he was in the area looking for an apartment. He was then sent to the Stateville Correctional Center on a series of charges related to parole violation.

By the time his hearing rolled around on February 26, Brand had changed his story once again. This time, he denied going to her apartment entirely. "GPS would have picked up on it, and it didn’t," he said at the hearing, referring to his ankle monitor. Smith was not asked to testify at the hearing.

Ultimately, Miller, one of five Republicans on the Prisoner Review Board, and two of her PRB colleagues — independent Krystal Tison and fellow Republican Kenneth Tupy — signed off on the decision to release Brand on March 12, claiming that there was not enough evidence to support Smith's allegations.

Days before Brand's hearing, Smith pled with Judge Thomas Nowinski to grant her an emergency order of protection against Brand, citing harassing text messages and his arrival at her apartment on February 1. Once again, the system failed Smith, as Judge Nowinski ruled that since Brand was still in custody at the time, her case did not amount to an "emergency" and scheduled another hearing for her case on March 13.

Smith never made it to that hearing.

On the morning of March 13, Brand allegedly showed up at Smith's apartment once again, this time carrying a knife. He then allegedly forced his way into the apartment and began viciously stabbing Smith, who is pregnant. Smith, a 33-year-old mother of three, including her unborn child, was not alone at the time. Her two sons, 11-year-old Jayden Perkins and an unnamed 6-year-old boy, were there as well.

To shield his mother from further violence, 11-year-old Jayden stepped in between Smith and her attacker and suffered several stab wounds as a result. Jayden and Smith were rushed to the hospital, and Smith and her unborn child are both expected to survive.

Young Jayden did not.

"He's the kindest, trustworthy friend you could probably ever ask for," 12-year-old Nathaniel Vodak later said after a candlelight vigil to honor his lost friend.

"No one can replace him," added Alexis Perez, another friend. "No one can take his place."

Smith's 6-year-old boy thankfully was not hurt during the incident. However, with his older brother dead and his mother and unborn sibling wounded, the community has demanded answers from those who allowed the suspect back on the street. In the wake of the public outcry, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) called Miller's resignation "the correct decision."

"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," Pritzker's statement added.

Miller joined the board in 2021 after 20 years in the state's Department of Corrections. She also had a 35-year career in education. The Daily Mail contacted Miller and the Prisoner Review Board for comment.

PRB President Donald Shelton likewise stepped down on Monday, though whether he did so on account of Brand's alleged violent attack is unclear, as Shelton was not directly involved in the decision to release him. Pritzker honored Shelton for his service. "During his time with the Champaign Police Department and with the PRB he worked diligently to keep Illinoisans safe and uphold our justice system," Pritzker said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!