Illinois board unaware of woman's bid for protection order before son's accused killer was paroled
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Illinois Prisoner Review Board was never told a pregnant Chicago woman feared for her life and was seeking an order of protection against her ex-boyfriend before he was paroled and later allegedly stabbed her and killed her 11-year-old son.
Newly-released records show a complete failure to communicate critical court information in the case, as questions continue about why he was released from prison a day before the attack.
Crosetti Brand, who has a violent history of domestic battery, is accused of going to his ex-girlfriend's apartment, stabbing her, and killing her 11-year-old son, Jayden Perkins, on the day after he was paroled.
The Rev. Robin Hood, of Men and Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere, works closely with victims of domestic abuse. Hood said Jayden's murder and the stabbing of the boy's mother shines a light on a bigger problem.
"CBS showed the problem with the system not being whole," Hood said.
CBS 2 has exposed that there was a complete failure in communication of critical court-ordered information to prison and parole officials.
"The review should be of what they did not do," Hood said.
New records obtained by the CBS 2 Investigators show the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, which handles parole decisions, acknowledges members had no idea that the ex-girlfriend was working to get another order of protection against Brand in February, despite him going back to prison for violating his parole, including by trying to break into the woman's home weeks before.
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board document was dated Feb. 26, five days after a judge denied the pregnant woman's request for an emergency order of protection against Brand.
Despite the request for an order of protection continued until March, the Prisoner Review Board and the Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed they never knew what was cooking in the courts. They had no idea about the woman's fears when the board decided to parole Brand.
Brand was released from prison and the next day allegedly went to the woman's Edgewater apartment, just hours before a scheduled court hearing on her case.
Hood said the circumstances of this case are proof that change is needed.
"We're going to help the system with be overhauled," Hood said. "There need to be another set of eyes."
