The man accused in the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has been found incompetent to stand trial, but that does not mean the case will be thrown out.
The news surrounds the suspect, a homeless man identified as Decarlos Brown Jr., and the 23-year-old victim, who was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August 2025. The violent murder shocked the world, and Brown was initially charged with first degree murder, according to Breitbart News.
“Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys are now aligned in pushing forward a competency determination for the man accused of a brutal killing aboard a Charlotte light rail train, according to new court filings submitted Thursday,” Fox News reported.
The outlet said a Bureau of Prisons evaluation concluded the suspect was not competent to stand trial, and officials said it was possible that treatment could restore him to competency.
His attorneys want the court to formally declare their client incompetent and place him in a facility.
The Fox article explained, “Even if Brown is ruled incompetent, the case would not be dismissed. Prosecutors emphasized that a finding of incompetence would not end the case but would instead trigger a process aimed at restoring Brown’s competency so proceedings can continue.”
According to WCNC, Brown was found incompetent to stand trial at the federal level.
“He was indicted on murder charges in Mecklenburg County Superior Court in September 2025. A federal grand jury separately indicted him in October on charges of violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death,” the outlet said, adding authorities said he has long been mentally ill.
“You have to understand the evidence that comes out. If you are not competent to stand trial, the trial can’t go forward. Your charges don’t get dismissed. They are on hold if you can become competent,” Attorney Mark Jetton, who is not involved in the case, explained to the outlet, noting this case could take several years.
Brown reportedly had a history of run-ins with law enforcement that included felony larceny, communicating threats, and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Zarutska’s killing shook people around the globe and many honored her memory in different ways. For instance, scientists named a butterfly species after her, and a mural was painted on a building in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Not long after Zarutska was brutally killed, President Donald Trump called for the suspect to face the death penalty, Breitbart News reported.
“The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!” he wrote in a post on social media.
Because Brown has been charged under a federal statute, that crime could mean the possibility of life behind bars or the death penalty, according to the Fox article.
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