Suspect in Murder of Ukrainian Refugee Declared Incompetent for Trial

DeCarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old man from North Carolina, who is accused of murdering 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska last summer, has been declared incompetent to stand trial. According to court documents filed on April 7, Brown's attorney submitted a motion to postpone the death penalty hearing for six months to allow for mandatory procedures related to his competency to stand trial.

The state has agreed to delay the hearing, which was originally scheduled for April 30, by 180 days. Iryna Zarutska, who arrived in the United States in 2022 following the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, was killed on August 22. On September 5, a video surfaced online showing Brown stabbing her in the throat, which was disseminated by conservative commentators as purported evidence of rising crime in cities led by Democrats.

Brown faces federal murder charges for the crime committed on public transportation, as well as state first-degree murder charges. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has blamed Democratic politicians for the murder of the Ukrainian woman, called for a swift trial and the death penalty for Brown on September 10.

The state of North Carolina requires a Rule 24 hearing for all cases that fall under the category of potential death penalty applications. This is the hearing that Brown's defense team is attempting to postpone, citing that Brown is currently under federal detention.

The motion for continuance states, 'The competency hearing is a 'critical stage' that cannot currently take place while the defendant remains in federal custody for parallel federal proceedings.'

Court documents show that Brown was evaluated at the Central Regional Hospital and deemed 'incompetent for further proceedings' in a report compiled on December 29, 2025. Brown, a homeless man with a history of violent crimes and mental health issues, has been arrested at least 14 times over the past decade.

The murder of Zarutska has become a focal point for political manipulation by right-wing politicians in the United States, some of whom are using this tragedy to promote xenophobic and racist policies. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene responded to Zarutska's murder by announcing plans to introduce amendments aimed at cutting U.S. financial aid to Ukraine.