Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death in the United States: Suspected perpetrator declared unfit to stand trial

US man accused of stabbing Ukrainian refugee in tram declared unfit for trial

• An American accused of stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee in a Charlotte tramway has been declared mentally unfit to stand trial locally.
• The case sparked outrage in the United States as images of the crime circulated widely on social media.

Donald Trump had called for the death penalty in his case. A man accused of killing a Ukrainian refugee was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial locally, American media reported on Wednesday.

DeCarlos Brown, 35, is accused of fatally stabbing Iryna Zarutska, 23, as she was returning home from work on a tram in Charlotte, in the southeastern United States, last August. Local media reported that psychiatrists found DeCarlos Brown “incapable to appear in court, and his lawyer requested a trial postponement.

“Monster”

He is also facing federal charges, but so far he has not been deemed unfit for trial. “DeCarlos Brown is currently in federal custody following federal charges. The state proceedings, including any decisions on his fitness to stand trial in that process, are entirely separate,” explained a federal prosecutor’s office in North Carolina.

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The case caused a strong emotional response in the United States, particularly among conservative circles. Describing the presumed murderer as an animal, Donald Trump demanded a speedy trial and called for the death penalty. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, on the other hand, referred to DeCarlos Brown, who had been previously convicted multiple times, as a monster who should have been locked up.

Footage of the murder, captured by surveillance cameras, was widely shared by conservative media and social media accounts to support Trump’s tough stance on crime.