Calling the slaying of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins “exceptionally brutal,” a judge on Tuesday sentenced his killer to life in prison plus an additional 120 years, mandating the maximum punishment following an emotional hearing.

A jury in June found Crosetti Brand, 39, guilty of murder, attempted murder, home invasion and aggravated domestic battery following a nearly month-long trial that involved more than 30 witnesses and some 300 exhibits.

The courtroom often crackled with tension during the trial, as distraught family members listened as witnesses gave harrowing accounts and Brand – who represented himself without the aid of a lawyer – at times heatedly argued with the judge and prosecutors.

At just 11-years-old, Jayden Perkins was forced to protect his pregnant mother from a vicious

See Full Page