Mom of boy killed by ex-boyfriend released from prison early drops lawsuit vs IL

The mother of an 11-year-old boy, who was killed in an attack by his mother’s ex-boyfriend after he was released from prison early by an Illinois board appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker, appears to have withdrawn her lawsuit seeking to hold the state, city of Chicago, and the Cook County Sheriff responsible for his death.

According to the federal court docket, attorneys for Laterria Smith voluntarily withdrew her lawsuit on March 11.

The plaintiffs did not include a reason for the voluntary dismissal in the filed motion. Nor did an attorney for Smith respond to questions from The Record about the dismissal.

The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning Smith could file a new complaint to try again to sue. However, it is not clear what the next steps, if any, may be in the case.

Smith had filed suit a year earlier in March 2025, demanding the state and other government defendants pay for the death of her son, Jayden Perkins. The 11-year-old boy was st...