The man accused of fatally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, told his family he attacked her because he believed she was reading his mind, according to his sister.
Tracey Brown, who herself was assaulted by her brother in 2022, described Decarlos Brown Jr as a paranoid schizophrenic who often claimed the government had implanted a chip in him. She said his mental health had deteriorated since leaving prison in 2022, when he struggled to hold conversations, became aggressive and failed to maintain steady work.
Disturbing Jailhouse Claims
In a phone call from jail just days after the killing, Brown claimed «material in his body» had compelled him to act. He admitted hurting his hand while stabbing Zarutska, saying:
«I don’t even know the lady. I never said a word to her. Why would somebody stab somebody for no reason?»
During a later visit, Tracey said her brother threatened her and their mother, accusing them of being part of a conspiracy against him. He told her:
«You and mama… y’all are being trafficked. The government is trafficking y’all to get to me.»
Family Pleas and Missed Warnings
Tracey explained she had initially assumed the incident was self-defence, but later realised her brother had reached a breaking point. Their mother had tried unsuccessfully to secure long-term psychiatric care for him, but lacked legal authority to do so.
Court documents reveal that in January Brown was arrested after misusing the 911 system, claiming a microchip was controlling his brain. Officers dismissed his concerns as medical, leading to his outburst and arrest. He was released on cashless bail two days later.
Tracey now fears reprisals because of her connection to the case, saying:
«I’m thinking people may recognise me, want to attack me, recognise that I’m his sister.»
While acknowledging the horror of the crime, Tracey urged President Trump to spare her brother the death penalty, pointing to his repeated but unsuccessful attempts to access mental health support.
«He was fighting and trying to get help before he broke,» she said, adding that authorities had overlooked his illness for years.
Kursiv also reports that Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have stepped forward following the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, whose death shocked the nation.
