Homeless man charged with murdering Ukrainian girl in train stabbing attack deemed unfit to stand trial

George Bunn
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:03:09 +0000

A homeless man accused of fatally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in North Carolina has been deemed mentally "incapable" of proceeding to trial.

Attorneys representing DeCarlos Brown Jr filed a motion in Mecklenburg Superior Court looking to continue what is known as a Rule 24 hearing, where a judge can decide if prosecutors can pursue the death penalty.

Ms Zarutska, 23, was killed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina in August 2025 in a case that shocked the nation and caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who personally invited Ms Zarutska’s mother to the State of the Union address.

Now, a court document has revealed the case into Brown Jr cannot proceed until a judge decides that his mental capacity has been "restored."

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Footage from the incident showed Ms Zarutska sat in an aisle seat directly in front of a man who "pulls a knife out of his pocket, unfolds the knife, pauses, then stands up, and strikes at the victim three times".

A court affidavit said there appeared to be "no interaction between the victim and defendant" prior to the incident.

It went on to say: "Blood visibly drips on the floor as the defendant walks away from the victim. The victim goes unresponsive shortly after the attack."

Ms Zarutska, who fled Ukraine following Vladimir Putin's invasion in 2022, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The results of Brown Jr's capacity evaluation were revealed in a motion his state public defender filed in Mecklenburg Superior Court on Tuesday.

He is currently undergoing a separate psychological evaluation in the federal prison system, with the report from that evaluation expected later this month.

If Brown is deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial, a judge will have to hold a capacity hearing in federal court, with the state case also at a standstill while he is in federal custody.

As a result of the filing, Brown won’t go to trial in either federal or state court until questions surrounding his mental state are resolved.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Woke mayor demands tribute to murdered Ukrainian refugee be TORN DOWN because 'it's divisive'

‘The murder was divisive!' Republican hits back after US mayor slams Ukrainian refugee mural

'BLOOD on Democrat hands' - Donald Trump left furious by sickening train attack on innocent Ukrainian refugee

The case sent shockwaves across the US, catching the eye of not only President Trump but also billionaire Elon Musk who pledged to donate to fund murals in memory of Ms Zarutska.

However, there was backlash some of these murals, including Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, Brett Smiley who had labelled it "misguided" and "divisive" just days ago.

The Democrat mayor said: "The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence.

"I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us."

Anthony D’Ellena, a Rhode Island GOP field organiser, criticised Providence Mayor Smiley’s remarks.

He told GB News: "The failure to protect innocent people is divisive. The instinct to erase the memorial instead of face the truth is what tells people everything they need to know about where the Democratic party’s priorities truly lie.

"She fled the horrors of war in Ukraine seeking safety and freedom in America, the land of opportunity, only to be brutally murdered in a random, unprovoked attack by a career criminal who should never have been on the streets."

He also suggested some on the left have been reluctant to engage fully with the circumstances surrounding the killing because "an honest discussion would force Democrats to confront the consequences of their own policies".

US Attorney Russ Ferguson said in a statement at the time: "This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life.

"Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most, Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family."

Speaking during his State of the Union address, President Trump said: "Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body."

The family of Ms Zarutska chose to bury her in the US because she "loved America," the FBI's James Barnacle told reporters at the time.