Copyright Newsweek
News that Decarlos Brown Jr, the suspect accused of killing 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in August, has had his court hearing delayed has sparked online anger. Brown, 34, has been charged with her murder and with causing death on a mass transportation system after Zarutska, a Ukrainian woman, was stabbed in Charlotte, North Carolina, on August 22, on the Lynx Blue Line near the Camden Road area in Charlotte's South End shortly before 10 p.m. He was scheduled to have a Rule 24 court hearing on October 16, meaning a hearing determining whether the state would pursue the death penalty. But according to court documents cited by local news outlets, this hearing has now been delayed until April 2026, sparking outrage on social media. Newsweek was unable to access these court documents. Newsweek reached out to Brown's attorney, Daniel Roberts and the Charlotte District Attorney's Office by email to comment on this story. The Context Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene, and a suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment due to a hand injury in August. A folding knife was located near the platform, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. A video of the incident circulated on social media. The case attracted scrutiny around safety on public transport. It also created a storm as Brown, who was known to the police as having schizophrenia and had previous arrests and convictions spanning over a decade, had been released after an arrest in January. Brown is being held without bond at the Mecklenburg County Jail, and his federal charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or execution. What To Know According to local news outlet WBTV, Brown and his attorney, Roberts, decided to delay the hearing, but the reason was redacted in the court documents. Writing on X, scientist and photographer Matt Van Swol (who has 367k followers) wrote: "Can someone please give me ANY LEGITIMATE reason that Darcarlos Brown Jr, the man who murdered Iryna Zarutska in cold-blood in Charlotte NC, has his death penalty court hearing pushed back TO NEXT YEAR??!!! Why? Seriously, why? We have the footage, what is going on?!!!!" Another account called the Patriot Oasis, which has over 331,000 followers, said: "What in the WORLD? THERE IS VIDEO OD [sic] HIM KILLING HER? We should have SWIFT justice.." A third account, Dmturk, which has 52,000 followers, said: "They are absolutely hoping that they can cheat their way to Senate or Congress level takeover! They assume if that happens, they can stop the Trump administration, and foster and promote more criminal behavior! But Brown's mental health circumstances made the delay "appropriate," Matthew Mangino, a former district attorney in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, told Newsweek. "More than likely, this delay is about Brown's competency," he said. "The Rule 24 death penalty hearing requires that the defendant understand the proceeding and is capable of aiding in his defense. "Obviously Brown has some mental health issues, he told police he believed 'someone gave him a ‘man-made’ material that controlled when he ate, walked, talked.' "Competency and sanity represent two different points in time. Sanity is an issue at the time of the offense; competency is an issue for pretrial or trial. "Under the circumstances, the delay seems appropriate." What People Are Saying President Donald Trump, in a statement in August: "I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic. The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP." What Happens Next
