The brutal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who fled to North Carolina seeking safety from the war in her homeland, has shaken the nation and sparked widespread outrage online.
On August 22, while riding a train in Charlotte, Zarutska was fatally attacked in what authorities have described as a completely unprovoked assault.
The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., was later taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. In a shocking claim, Brown attempted to blame the attack on “materials” inside his body, which he alleged caused him to lose control and lash out.
That same evening, Iryna had texted her boyfriend to say she “would be home soon.” Instead, her life was violently cut short before she could return.
“Most horrific way”
Zarutska’s family issued a devastating statement in the wake of the tragedy:
“We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way. No family should have to go through this.”
According to her obituary, Iryna fled Ukraine in 2022 with her mother, brother, and sister to escape Russia’s invasion. After settling in Charlotte, she worked full-time at a local pizzeria while also attending community college to improve her English.
Her family’s attorney described her as “a kind and hardworking young woman, deeply loved by her family and friends.”
On the night of the attack, her boyfriend, Stanislav “Stas” Nikulytsia, 21 — who had been living with her in Charlotte for the past year — arrived at the station, only to be met with the devastating news that she had died at the scene.
Boyfriend’s anger
Nikulytsia broke his silence on Wednesday, posting a tender photo of himself and Iryna in bathing suits, captioned only with a broken heart emoji — his first public expression of grief since her murder.
He has since continued to share both his sorrow and his outrage online, reposting videos that criticize Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, the judge who released Decarlos Brown Jr. on cashless bail just seven months prior to the killing.
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore joined in the chorus of outrage, declaring:
“North Carolina’s justice system failed Iryna Zarutska. She came to Charlotte in search of safety and a better life, but instead, she was brutally murdered by a repeat offender who never should have been allowed back on the streets.”
Moore went on to label Judge Teresa Stokes “unfit,” adding:
“Judge Stokes had the chance to protect the public and chose not to. It’s clear that she’s unfit to hold this consequential position and should be removed from the bench immediately.”
Troubled past
Brown’s background paints a deeply troubling picture. Reports reveal he had been arrested 14 times before the killing.
In January, Judge Stokes released Brown — despite his lengthy record as a repeat offender with more than a dozen prior arrests — on nothing more than a “written promise” to return for a future court date.
His mother has acknowledged that she tried to have him involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital after his violent behavior escalated.
His sister, Tracey Brown, described him as “a paranoid schizophrenic” after visiting him in jail following the stabbing.
“When I went to visit him, he was mumbling and speaking to himself,” she told The Post. “I asked, ‘Well, what’s on your mind?’ He looked at me and said, ‘I have to get you too.’ I asked, ‘What do you mean you have to get me?’ He replied, ‘You and mama. You’re being trafficked.’ I asked, ‘How are we being trafficked?’ And he said, ‘The government is trafficking you to get to me.’”
A Life Cut Short
Zarutska, who once dreamed of building a peaceful future away from violence, instead became its victim. Her family’s attorney summed it up with heartbreaking clarity:
“That night, she texted her boyfriend to say she would be home soon. Tragically, her journey ended in violence near the Camden light rail station.”
