Murder of a Ukrainian woman in the US: suspect declared insane, trial over him postponed indefinitely

Murder of a Ukrainian woman in the US: suspect declared insane, trial over him postponed indefinitely

The case of the murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has taken an unexpected turn: the accused has been deemed incompetent to stand trial due to his mental state.

It concerns 35-year-old Decarlos Brown, who is accused of a brutal attack in a city train car. According to court documents, after a psychiatric examination, doctors concluded that he does not understand the essence of the charges and cannot participate in the trial process.

The examination was conducted back in December, but its results remained classified and became known only after filing the relevant motion on April 7.

Now the court must decide whether to agree with the doctors’ conclusions. If the conclusion is confirmed, the criminal case will effectively be put on hold until the accused’s condition allows him to participate in the process.

At the time of the attack, which occurred in August, Brown was free — he had previously been released on a promise to appear in court after a false 911 call.

According to the investigation, in the train he stealthily approached Iryna Zarutska, who was sitting in front of him and unaware of the danger, and suddenly attacked her with a knife. The blows landed in the neck area. The girl died on the spot. Surveillance camera video captured the moment of the attack: after the attack, the suspect calmly walked through the car, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Iryna Zarutska — a refugee from Ukraine. In the US, she worked and tried to build a new life.

After the murder, the case caused widespread public resonance. North Carolina authorities passed a new law called «Iryna’s Law», which tightens the rules for releasing suspects in violent crimes on a promise to appear.

According to Brown’s mother, the man suffers from schizophrenia. In recent years, he has repeatedly come to the attention of the police — he was detained at least 14 times on various charges.

The timelines for resuming the trial remain uncertain. In North Carolina, defendants can wait a year or more for treatment and restoration of competency to stand trial due to a shortage of places in psychiatric facilities.