Thread: Ukrainian refugee slain on Charlotte train: Calls for accountability & public safety

iHeart

15.1K Followers

Ukrainian Refugee's Killer Could Face Death Penalty By Firing Squad

Story by Jason Hall
• 11h • 4 min read



Photo: Getty Images

A criminal justice reform named in honor of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee murdered on a North Carolina train earlier this year, was signed into law by the state's governor, raising the chances that her alleged killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., could face the death penalty by firing squad, the New York Post reports.

House Bill 307, known as 'Iryna's Law,' was approved by both chambers of the Republican majority North Carolina legislature and rubber-stamped by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last Friday (October 3). The bill includes an amendment that would allow the state to resume capital punishment, which would include the use of a firing squad, as lethal injection is currently the only authorized method of execution.
The provision would also bypass legal challenges that led to the state pausing execution in 2006 and require death penalty appeals be heard within two years of filing as the state currently has 122 inmates on death row. The reforms will also deny certain violent offenders of cashless bail and limit a judge's authority over pretrial release, as well as require more defendants undergo mental health evaluations, all of which could've prevented Zarutska's murder from taking place.

Related video: Iryna's Law opens door to other methods of execution -- like firing squad (WFMY-TV Greensboro)


WFMY-TV Greensboro
Iryna's Law opens door to other methods of execution -- like firing squad

Brown's mother said her schizophrenic son, who had been arrested at least 14 times prior, should have never been released from jail as his mental health was quickly deteriorating.
“He shouldn’t have been released,” said Michelle Dewitt in an exclusive interview with the New York Post outside her home on September 10, referencing him being free on a "written promise" to appear in court after being arrested in January.
Dewitt said she took her son to a homeless shelter days before the incident took place after he had grown increasingly aggressive to both her and her husband. The 51-year-old denied that the attack was racially motivated, claiming her son was "definitely not racist" and had "dated all kinds of girls."
“When you bring a person to mental health, and [they] tell you ‘we don’t have enough space’ or, ‘is he trying to kill himself or someone else?’ and I say no, then there is nothing we can do, you need to get a court order,” Dewitt said.

Disturbing audio from Brown's phone conversation with his sister, Tracey, who he previously assaulted during a biting incident in 2022, included him claiming that "the material in his body" was responsible for killing Zarutska, not himself, six days after the murder took place, the Daily Mail reports.
“I hurt my hand, stabbing her. I don’t even know the lady. I never said not one word to the lady at all. That’s scary, ain’t it. Why would somebody stab somebody for no reason?” Decarlos said on the audio.
“Out of all people, why her? She’s from the Ukraine, she’s from Russia, and they had a war going on against the United States, so I’m just trying to understand, of all people, why her?” Tracey asked.
“They just lashed out on her, that’s what happened. Whoever was working the materials, they lashed out on her. That’s all there is to it. Now they really gotta investigate what my body was exposed to … Now they gotta do an investigation as to who was the motive behind what happened," Decarlos responded.

Tracey also confirmed that her brother is a paranoid schizophrenic who had claimed that the government had implanted a chip in him multiple times prior to the fatal incident on a Charlotte, North Carolina, train.
“A person that is hearing voices in their head and believes the world is against them, they’re going to break. And I think that night he broke,” Tracey told CNN.

President Donald Trump shared a post calling for Brown to face the death penalty on his Truth Social account on September 10.
"The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a “Quick” (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!" Trump wrote.
Brown was charged with a federal count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system on September 9, having already faced a first-degree murder charge. Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly stated her intention to "seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable crime" and vowed that Brown would "never again see the light of day as a free man.”

Brown was freed after a magistrate released him with just a "written promise" to appear in court, despite having been arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina since 2007. Surveillance video shows a man identified as Brown pulling out a pocket knife and stabbing Zarutska in the neck.
Brown is currently being held in Mecklenburg County Jail without bond.

Ukrainian Refugee's Killer Could Face Death Penalty By Firing Squad

Lenient judges ignore red flags, cave to soft-on-crime pressures as they release repeat offenders: attorney

Opinion by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten
Dec 08 • 3 min read • Updated 6h ago

FOX News
Expert explains judicial factors in release of suspect accused in Charlotte killing

View on Watch

The killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, allegedly by a recently released repeat offender, is amplifying nationwide criticism of judicial rulings that put violent suspects back on the streets.
Critics argue that judges are too lenient, but New York City trial attorney Nicole Brenecki said the issue is layered.
"I think we can agree that it's not just common knowledge in society," she told Fox News Digital. "I think there's also statistics available to us right now that repeat offenders are on the rise. Recidivism is at an all-time high."



L-R: A mugshot of Decarlos Brown; Surveillance footage showing Brown on the light rail train before allegedly killing Iryna Zarutska. Fox News© Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office; CATS

LEAVITT BLASTS 'MANY OUTLETS IN THIS ROOM' AT BRIEFING FOR FAILING TO COVER MURDER OF IRYNA ZARUTSKA

Brenecki said that the period after the individuals leave jail or prison is "the highest risk" for reoffending because of housing instability, job instability and lack of basic resources. But she also pointed to the growing pressure on courts to move cases along quickly and overwhelming caseloads.
"There is a trend towards leniency," she said. "And that trend is criticized because we see the results – these people do go out and commit the offense again. And that jeopardizes public safety."
READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP



A view of the memorial dedicated to slain 23-year-old Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska at the East/West Blvd light rail station in Charlotte NC, United States on Sept. 11, 2025. Getty Images© Getty Images

The suspect in Zarutska's killing, Decarlos Brown Jr., allegedly attacked and stabbed her to death while the young Ukrainian refugee was commuting home from her pizzeria job in August.
Brown had a history of violent crime, including assaults and robberies, and had also been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Yet he was still free and walking the streets.
Brenecki said that judges often face public backlash in such cases like Zarutska's, but many misunderstand the legal constraints in place.



Attorney Nicole Brenecki said that not all arrests result in convictions, but that repeated arrests still signal a clear pattern of dangerous behavior. Fox News© Fox News

IRYNA ZARUTSKA FLED UKRAINE FOR SAFETY BUT DEMOCRATS' SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES FAILED HER

"This is a very, very difficult subject because we have this term ‘judicial discretion,’" she said. "When it comes to the release or bail, it’s all discretionary. There are risk assessment factors they’re supposed to be looking at, but mistakes are made."
She said that judges are required to strike a balance between maintaining the presumption of innocence for the accused and ensuring public safety. But even so, some decisions defy common sense.
"When you see the articles in the media saying people were released and they had, I don’t know, 70 prior arrests, there is a red flag there," she said. "For some reason, it is not being brought to attention at the time of the sentencing or release."
She noted that not all arrests result in convictions, but that repeated arrests still signal a clear pattern of dangerous behavior.
"Arrest does not always lead to a conviction, but the arrest is usually based on some act," she said. "So even if this person finds themselves perpetually in those types of situations that lead to arrests, it’s somewhat of a red flag."

WATCH: Chicago train attack revives debate on cashless bail for repeat offenders

FOX News
Chicago train attack revives debate on cashless bail for repeat offenders

View on Watch

Brenecki said that part of the problem is that judges are influenced, consciously or not, by political and social pressures for deincarceration.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
"I don’t think judges should be looking at the state of society and saying, ‘Oh, perhaps we should be doing better as a nation in terms of curbing poverty,’" she said. "This is not a judge’s place to make those considerations and have them outweigh public safety."

"If I were to sum up everything, I think it’s the failure of the judicial system and the court system and the court system more than anything else," she said.

Original article source: Lenient judges ignore red flags, cave to soft-on-crime pressures as they release repeat offenders: attorney

Lenient judges ignore red flags, cave to soft-on-crime pressures as they release repeat offenders: attorney

New York Post

352.7K Followers

Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial

Story by Chris Nesi
• 2h • 3 min read

New York Post
Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial

Video Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial

The deranged homeless man accused of savagely butchering Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on a Charlotte light rail train has been found “incapable to proceed” on state murder charges.
According to a motion filed April 7, Decarlos Brown Jr. was evaluated Dec. 29 at Central Regional Hospital, and the subsequent report determined he was not competent to stand trial, according to WBTV.
The results were previously sealed in state court, and were only revealed as the motion was filed.

Decarlos Brown Jr. allegedly killed Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train. Instagram/ Iryna Zarutska

A judge must now determine whether to accept the report’s findings, and the case against him will likely be delayed until his capacity is determined to be “restored” by the court, the station reported.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST NEWS BY SUBSCRIBING TO MORNING REPORT NEWSLETTER

In the motion filed by Brown’s public defender, he claimed the court-required capacity hearing cannot take place with the accused killer in federal custody, and that the court also can’t order to have his capacity restored.
Brown has been in federal custody in Chicago since a grand jury indicted him on Oct. 22 for violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system causing death.
He’s been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation pursuant to his federal case, but court filings viewed by the outlet last month show it hasn’t been completed and that the evaluation period has been extended.
The outlet reports that restoring competency can take a long time in North Carolina because of limited space in state psychiatric facilities, and said it’s not uncommon for defendants to wait a year or more for a bed to open up.
Brown, 35, whose mother told The Post is schizophrenic, was arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery dating back to 2007.



Brown Jr. was found “incapable to proceed” on state murder charges for the brutal slaying. AP

At the time of the senseless attack in late August, he was free on cashless bail after a magistrate released him with a “written promise” to show up for court after placing a bogus 911 call.
The horrifying caught-on-camera slaying became national news, and prompted President Trump to call for Brown to face the death penalty on federal murder charges.
Two months after the attack, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed “Iryna’s Law,” which prevents cashless bail for some violent crimes and repeat offenders and improves checks on criminals released on bail.
In the video, Brown is seen seated on the train before Zarutska boards and unknowingly takes the seat in front of him, her blonde locks tucked beneath a black baseball cap from Zepeddie’s Pizza, part of her work uniform.
As she busies herself with her phone, completely unaware of the danger lurking inches behind her, Brown unfolds a pocket knife before looming over her and brutally stabbing her several times in the neck in the cowardly sneak attack.
Zarutska’s face contorted into a haunting look of horror as she bled out on the train. Bystanders barely seemed to notice the horrifying scene — and no one stepped up to render aid.
After the stabbing, Brown can be seen meandering through the Lynx Blue Line train as a trail of blood drops forms behind him. He was arrested at the scene a short time later.
During a welfare check last January, Brown asked cops to investigate a “man-made material” inside his body that was controlling his actions, according to an affidavit obtained by the Charlotte Observer.

Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial