The man accused of brutally stabbing 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train has been officially deemed incompetent to stand trial, but federal prosecutors are not going to dismiss the case.
Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 35, a homeless repeat offender with a lengthy criminal history, was evaluated by the Bureau of Prisons and found mentally incompetent at both the state and federal levels.
However, unlike what defense attorneys might hope, the federal charges will not be dismissed. Instead, the process to restore Brown’s competency through treatment will begin, allowing the case to eventually move forward, potentially toward the death penalty.
Federal prosecutors says the murder case against the man accused of killing Iryna Zarutska will not be dismissed regardless of a competency ruling.
A Bureau of Prisons evaluation concluded Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr. is not competent to stand trial at this time.
Federal officials… pic.twitter.com/MYoIrldhOT
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 8, 2026
On August 22, 2025, Zarutska, who had fled the war in Ukraine seeking safety and a new life in America, was riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail home from work around 9:55 p.m. when Brown, seated directly behind her, suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed her multiple times in the neck and upper body without any warning or provocation.
Surveillance video captured the unprovoked attack in horrifying detail.
After committing the murder, Brown then calmly walked off the train and was arrested moments later on the platform.
Zarutska bled out in her seat as bystanders did little to intervene.
Brown had been arrested at least 14 times before the killing, including for felony larceny, communicating threats, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and other offenses.
The lunatic was free on a cashless bond for a misdemeanor at the time of the murder.
Brown was indicted on first-degree murder charges in Mecklenburg County Superior Court in September.
In October, a federal grand jury indicted him on one count of committing an act of violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty.
A state psychiatric evaluation completed in December had already found Brown “incapable to proceed” in the state murder case.
His public defenders filed a motion in early April requesting a 180-day delay in a key Rule 24 hearing, which is used in potential death penalty cases, and the state proceedings remain paused while Brown is in federal custody.
The Trump administration has been clear that the federal case will take precedence over the state’s case and will not be derailed.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, last month, U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated after a call with the U.S. Attorney in Charlotte, “Folks: I had a great call this morning with our US Attorney in Charlotte. Brown remains in federal custody, and so the parallel state proceedings are in no way dispositive. There will be a federal competency determination and prosecution track taking precedence.”
The case has also prompted “Iryna’s Law” in North Carolina, which was passed to tighten bail policies for violent offenders and improve procedures for involuntary commitment of the mentally ill, measures that could have prevented this tragedy.
Zarutska’s shocking death prompted an entomologist to name a new butterfly species after her, and murals honoring her memory were painted in multiple states.
Repeat Criminal Who Savagely Stabbed and Killed Iryna Zarutska on North Carolina Train Indicted by Federal Grand Jury, Now Eligible for Death Penalty
Her mother, Anna Zarutska, was personally recognized by President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address.
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