Crosetti Brand, on trial for allegedly killing the 11-year-old son of his former partner, began his defense Monday by calling himself to testify.

Brand spent about four hours on the stand Monday afternoon, at first detailing for jurors his budding interest in amateur porn and eventually describing his relationship with Laterria Smith and the morning when he stabbed her during what he described was “mutual combat.” Prosecutors say Brand attacked her and when her son, Jayden Perkins, intervened, he stabbed Perkins to death.

Brand told jurors he and Smith had “a wild relationship.” “Wild in that she put up with you threatening her,” Assistant State’s Attorney Danny Hanichak asked before presenting a series of threatening messages, sent months before the attack, which Brand claimed he didn’t

See Full Page