Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who came to North Carolina hoping to find peace, was brutally murdered on a train in Charlotte on August 22, 2025. The shocking attack has left her family devastated and many people angry at what they see as a failure in the justice system. The accused, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. However, it emerged that Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes had released him earlier despite his long history of arrests.
Just hours before the attack, Iryna sent a message to her boyfriend, Stanislav “Stas” Nikulytsia, saying she would be home soon. Instead, Stas had to go to the train station only to find out she had died. His sorrow is mixed with anger, reflecting the frustration of many who believe the legal system failed by allowing a dangerous man to stay free. Iryna’s family shared their pain, saying she came to the U.S. to escape violence but tragically lost her life in a violent crime.
Iryna and her family fled Ukraine in 2022 to escape the horrors of war. In Charlotte, she worked full-time at a pizzeria and attended community college to improve her English. Friends and family remember her as kind, hardworking, and full of hope. Her lawyer said she was a young woman with big dreams who deserved a future.
Stas, who lived with Iryna, posted a photo of them together with just a broken heart emoji, showing his deep grief. He also expressed anger on social media, criticizing the judge for releasing Brown without bail months before the murder. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore also condemned the decision and called for the judge to be removed.
Brown’s troubling past includes 14 arrests, yet he was released on a promise to appear in court. His family also spoke about his mental health struggles. His mother tried to have him committed for psychiatric help, and his sister described him as paranoid and unstable while he was in jail.
Iryna’s story is heartbreaking. She fled violence only to suffer violence again in what should have been a safe place. Her death highlights the consequences of a justice system that sometimes fails to protect the innocent. Her lawyer summed it up: she texted her boyfriend that night, planning to come home, but never made it. The public outcry grows as people demand answers and justice for a life lost too soon. The pain felt by her loved ones is deepened by the belief that this tragedy could have been prevented. Her story will continue to remind us of how vital it is to improve the system meant to protect everyone .
