Alleged Iryna Zarutska killer deemed incompetent for trial

A court motion filed Tuesday stated that Decarlos Brown, who faces first-degree murder charges in North Carolina, was incapable of proceeding with his trial. Medical professionals at Central Regional Hospital found Brown mentally unfit for trial, his attorney wrote in the motion. The court has yet to rule on the motion.

Prosecutors say Brown stabbed the throat of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska as she rode a Charlotte, N.C., light rail train in September 2025. Widely distributed surveillance video showed her being attacked from behind. He does not seem to have known Zarutska before the incident, based on reports of his statements to police. Brown’s mother recently told the New York Post that he was schizophrenic.

The attorney requested a court date in Brown’s case, a hearing to determine his eligibility to proceed with a potential death penalty trial, be pushed back 180 days. Brown could not appear for a hearing on his mental capacity while in federal custody, his attorney wrote. Federal authorities took him into custody after indicting him on parallel charges at the federal level. Brown’s hearing was originally scheduled for April 30, according to the motion. State prosecutors knew about the motion to delay the hearing and consented to it, according to court documents.

What happens if the court agrees that Brown isn’t mentally capable of standing trial? According to North Carolina law, he could be involuntarily committed to a mental health facility until he regains capacity or has spent 10 years at the facility without regaining his health. If so, his criminal case would remain pending until those 10 years expired and would then be dismissed. Prosecutors could alternatively agree to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning that they could refile charges against him if he regained mental capacity.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Zarutska’s killing.