Suspect in fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee deemed incompetent to stand trial

Decarlos Brown, Jr., the North Carolina man charged with the murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska last summer, has been found incompetent to stand trial, according to court documents filed on April 7.

Brown’s defense attorney has now requested to delay a hearing on the death penalty by six months to allow for mandatory competency-related proceedings. The state has agreed to push back the hearing, originally scheduled for April 30, by 180 days.

Zarutska, who came to the U.S. in 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was killed on Aug. 22. On Sept. 5, video footage showing Brown stabbing her in the throat surfaced online and was circulated by conservative commentators as alleged evidence of rising crime in Democrat-led cities.

Brown, 34, faces a federal charge of murder committed on public transportation in addition to a state charge of first-degree murder. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has blamed Democratic criminal justice policies for the killing of the Ukrainian woman, called on Sept. 10 for a swift trial and the death penalty for Brown.

The state of North Carolina requires a Rule 24 hearing for all capital-eligible cases. This is the hearing that Brown’s defense team has called to delay, citing Brown’s federal custody.

“A capacity hearing is a ‘critical stage’ hearing that cannot currently take place while the defendant remains in federal custody for the parallel federal proceedings,” the motion to continue states.

Court documents show that Brown was evaluated at Central Regional Hospital and found “incapable to proceed” in a report generated December 29, 2025.

Brown, an unhoused man with a history of violent crime and mental health issues, had been arrested at least 14 times over the past decade.

Zarutska’s murder has been heavily politicized by right-wing figures in the U.S., with some politicians exploiting the tragedy to promote xenophobic, racist policies. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene responded to Zarutska’s murder by announcing plans to introduce amendments aimed at halting U.S. financial aid to Ukraine.