Killer of Ukrainian refugee faces death penalty in North Carolina

A North Carolina man accused of brutally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to death has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that could carry the death penalty, according to US media reports.

Zarutska, 23, was killed on August 22 while riding a train in Charlotte. Surveillance footage showed 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. stabbing her three times in the neck without provocation before fleeing with the weapon still in his hand. He was arrested shortly afterward and charged with first-degree murder.

The indictment alleges Brown “intentionally killed” Zarutska — language that makes him eligible for capital punishment under federal law. Her family’s attorney said they were “pleased” with the decision and hoped for “swift justice.”

Brown’s criminal history spans more than a decade, including felony breaking and entering and armed robbery, for which he served five years in prison.

Zarutska’s death has reignited debate over capital punishment. President Donald Trump called Brown an “animal” and urged that the death penalty be applied, citing his September executive order reinstating executions for murder in Washington DC.

North Carolina has maintained a moratorium on executions since the early 2000s. However, following the attack, lawmakers passed Iryna’s Law, restoring the death penalty and authorizing alternative execution methods if lethal injection is unavailable. Governor Josh Stein has opposed suggestions to permit firing squads, calling them “barbaric.”