Paranoia, Tragedy, and Systemic Failure: The Death of Iryna Zarutska
A brutal act of violence on a Charlotte train has left the nation shocked—and the accused killer’s account has added a chilling, unsettling dimension. Decarlos Brown Jr., charged with the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, claims he did not attack her himself, raising questions about his mental state and what truly led to her death.
Brown reportedly told family members he targeted Zarutska because he believed she was reading his mind. His sister, Tracey Brown, revealed that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and has long claimed the government implanted a chip in his body.
“A person hearing voices in their head and believing the world is against them—they’re going to break. And I think that night he broke,” Tracey told CNN, recalling the escalating paranoia and aggression she had witnessed in her brother. In 2022, he assaulted her, biting her and breaking a door—a pattern of behavior that foreshadowed further violence.
Disturbing audio from a jail call with Tracey, recorded six days after the murder, captures Brown attempting to explain his actions. He said, “The material in my body—not me—had killed Iryna. I hurt my hand stabbing her. I don’t even know the lady. I never said not one word to her at all. That’s scary, ain’t it?”
When pressed about why Zarutska was targeted, Brown claimed, “They just lashed out on her. That’s what happened. Whoever was working the materials, they lashed out on her. That’s all there is to it. Now they really gotta investigate what my body was exposed to… Now they gotta do an investigation as to who was the motive behind what happened.”
Family members expressed frustration over repeated attempts to secure long-term mental health care for Brown, which were unsuccessful because they were not his legal guardians. After his release from a five-year armed robbery sentence in 2022, Brown’s condition reportedly deteriorated: he struggled with basic conversation, became increasingly aggressive, and could not maintain steady employment.
Earlier this year, Brown’s legal troubles escalated after he called 911 claiming his brain was being controlled by a microchip. Officers determined the claims were medical in nature and could not intervene further. According to the arrest affidavit, Brown became enraged when authorities did not investigate the “man-made” material in his body, resulting in charges for misuse of the 911 system.
A subsequent magistrate hearing granted cashless bail, ordered a psychiatric evaluation, and required Brown to promise attendance at future court dates. Tracey Brown says the evaluation was delayed for over a year, despite repeated pleas for help. “He was high risk. He was not in his right mind. He was not safe for society,” she told the Daily Mail. “And now an innocent woman is dead.”
Conclusion
The tragic death of Iryna Zarutska highlights the intersection of untreated mental illness and violent behavior, and exposes the systemic failures that can leave high-risk individuals without necessary care. Brown’s explanations from jail, though chilling and difficult to comprehend, underscore the urgent need for early intervention and accessible mental health support.
This case serves as a sobering reminder of the potentially devastating consequences when warning signs go unheeded, and help arrives too late.