The case had sparked strong emotions in the United States, particularly among conservatives. A man accused of the murder of a Ukrainian refugee was declared mentally unfit to stand trial, as reported by American media outlets on Wednesday.
DeCarlos Brown, 35, is suspected of stabbing to death 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska as she was returning from work on a tram in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August 2025.
Local media, including WBTV, reported that psychiatrists deemed DeCarlos Brown “incompetent” to stand trial, leading his lawyer to request a trial postponement.
Video: The murder of a Ukrainian refugee stirs up America
Donald Trump had called for the death penalty
Referring to the alleged murderer as an “animal,” Donald Trump called for a speedy trial and the death penalty on his Truth Social platform. The White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, described DeCarlos Brown, who has been previously convicted multiple times, as a “monster” who “should be locked up.”
Footage of the murder, captured by surveillance cameras, was widely shared by conservative media and social media accounts to support Donald Trump’s tough-on-crime stance.
Since returning to power over a year ago, the American president has dispatched or attempted to dispatch troops to several cities led by Democratic opponents, such as Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, in what he claims is a fight against crime.
