The chilling murder case of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, killed aboard a train bound for North Carolina, may now have gained crucial new footage from closer to the moment the crime occurred.
Back on August 22, she was travelling on a Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train before 10 p.m. when she was stabbed to death. Zarutska’s immediate passenger, seated behind her, committed the crime. According to an affidavit obtained by ABC News, the victim was seated in an aisle seat directly in front of the attacker, who pulled a knife from his pocket, unfolded it, paused briefly, and then stood up to stab her three times.
The victim shortly afterwards went unresponsive, as blood dripped on the floor. In the meantime, the attacker slowly walked away from the crime scene. A CNN report recorded the incident as “the suspect pulls a knife out of his pocket, unfolds the knife, pauses, then stands up, and strikes at the victim three times. Blood visibly drips on the floor as the defendant walks away from the victim. The victim goes unresponsive shortly after the attack. There appears to be no interaction between the victim and defendant.”
Although the suspect has already been arrested, nearly two months later a newly surfaced surveillance clip shows the last moments he was seen before capture.
Identified as Decarlos Brown Jr, the footage shows him wandering around a train platform in Charlotte on August 22 itself, as bystanders exit the car of a Lynx Blue Line train and call for help. He could be seen with a red hoodie in his hands, which was something he wore during the alleged stabbing of Zarutska, as seen in the footage previously accessed. In yet another clip found by the New York Post, Brown Jr is shown having crossed the street and standing on another platform, while he smokes a cigarette and talks to himself. Minutes later, four police officers are seen running towards him, as they then tackle him to the ground, handcuff him, and then search all his belongings.
Following the investigation, Decarlos Brown Jr. was charged with first-degree murder by federal prosecutors. By September 9, the Justice Department, in its statement, underlined the fact that the culprit would face a federal charge of committing an act causing death inside a mass transportation system. The maximum sentence for his crime is the death penalty.
Interestingly, a CNN report states that Brown has been previously convicted as well, wherein, during a separate incident, he was accused of armed robbery, felony larceny, and breaking premises. As per his mother’s report, Decarlos was experiencing homelessness and mental health issues, which triggered him to perform such crimes.
Meanwhile, Zarutska’s murder has sparked an array of political debate and outrage, to say the least. A statement from her family attorney informed that she was working at a pizza parlor at the time of her death and had also been attending community college courses to improve her English diction.
The note on Iryna’s obituary read as “She dreamed of pursuing a career as a Veterinary Assistant while also working toward her independence by learning to drive. She was a kind and hardworking young woman, deeply loved by her family and friends. That night, she texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon. Tragically, her journey ended in violence near the Camden light rail station.”
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, for the Western District of North Carolina, commented on the tragic incident and pledged justice for Iryna’s family. The statement issued read as “This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life. Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most — Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family.”
