On August 22, 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death by a stranger while riding a train through North Carolina. The brutal and unprovoked attack shocked both local residents and the international community.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., who now faces charges of first-degree murder for the killing of the Ukrainian refugee.
Police arrested Brown just minutes later at the train’s next stop. Reports indicate he suffers from schizophrenia and other mental health issues. Despite this, prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder, which carries the possibility of capital punishment under North Carolina law.
The case has gained widespread attention, including comments from former President Donald Trump, who publicly stated that the killer “deserves nothing less than the death penalty.”
The legislation, passed by a wide majority in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly on October 5, was signed into law by Governor Josh Stein shortly afterward. The move comes amid growing calls for tougher penalties for violent crimes in the state.
There have been no executions in the state since 2006 due to ongoing lawsuits that effectively created a moratorium on the death penalty. These legal disputes have delayed dozens of executions over the past two decades.
Lawmakers behind the new bill argue that “Iryna’s Law” will remove unnecessary delays and allow justice to be carried out more efficiently.
North Carolina currently has 122 inmates on death row, according to WCNC. The bill also strengthens bail requirements for defendants accused of violent crimes, eliminating cashless bail and restricting judges’ ability to grant pretrial release.
Supporters believe the reform could prevent tragedies like Iryna’s from happening again by keeping high-risk offenders detained.
This change follows reports that Brown had several run-ins with law enforcement before allegedly killing Iryna. Despite concerns about his mental health, he was repeatedly released without long-term intervention.
Earlier this year, he was arrested for “misuse of the 911 system,” during which he reportedly told police that “man-made materials” inside his body were controlling him.
Governor Stein addressed these concerns in a public statement, explaining that the new bill encourages judges to pay closer attention to defendants who may pose a serious risk of violence before granting bail.
He stated that it “alerts the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before determining their bail.”
However, Governor Stein clarified that despite approving the bill, he has no plans to authorize executions by firing squad, saying there will be “no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor.”
“I never said not one word to the lady at all. That’s scary, ain’t it. Why would somebody stab somebody for no reason?”
He also insisted that police should investigate “man-made materials” he believes are controlling him, claiming “they just lashed out on her.”
Iryna and her family had fled war-torn Ukraine in 2022 in search of safety and had recently begun rebuilding their lives in the United States before her tragic death.
