A federal judge has found that the suspect who allegedly murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska last year on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, is incompetent to stand trial for the time being.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson confirmed the news on Tuesday, telling reporters that Decarlos Brown Jr. will be hospitalized for treatment and medication for up to four months under a court order. Brown will then face another hearing that will determine whether he’s competent to proceed in the case.
During the latest hearing, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell determined the defendant lacked the mental capacity to understand the legal proceedings. However, federal prosecutors are hopeful that his capacity can be restored.
“The doctor that examined him for the competency hearing today found that his prognosis for restoration is very good, so I rely on the doctors there,” Ferguson said. “I think the prognosis is good and we’ll see him stand trial.”
The prosecutors also said the court could force Brown to take medication if he refuses.
In a statement released through an attorney, Zarutska’s family voiced optimism that Brown will be punished for his crimes.
“This was not unexpected,” the victim’s family said. “We have confidence that his capacity will be restored so he can stand trial for what he did to Iryna.”
Zarutska died on August 22, 2025, after Brown fatally stabbed her in an unprovoked attack that received widespread attention at the time. Brown was arrested shortly thereafter. He faces federal and state charges for the murder. If convicted, Brown could possibly face the death penalty in either case.
The judge presiding over the state case previously deemed the suspect mentally unfit to stand trial.
The next state hearing is scheduled for Oct. 27, while the next hearing in the federal case will focus on Brown’s competency after the allotted time for his medical treatment ends. Tuesday’s hearing lasted about 15 minutes.
Brown disrupted the hearing when he shouted there is a “material” inside his body controlling his movements and revealed he wants to press charges against the FBI for some reason, according to news reports.
“I would like to tell the court I have a body emergency,” Brown said in a court document filed by his attorneys. “Someone has full access to my body and they are controlling me wrongfully. And law enforcement refuses to investigate it. And it requires for an investigation. When describing the technology someone was using I was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.”
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“When asked what he wants from the court, he advised counsel that he wants a court order directing ‘law enforcement’ to investigate his body emergency,” the defense lawyers wrote to the judge.
Following his bizarre outburst, Brown was escorted out of the courtroom. He remains in federal custody.