The suspect accused of murdering a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, late last month is out of jail and undergoing a court-ordered mental competency exam that could have a major impact on how justice is ultimately served in the case.
As reported on Monday’s AM Update, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of murdering 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train, has been transferred from prison to a psychiatric hospital for a court-ordered mental competency evaluation.
On August 22 just before 9:45pm, surveillance footage showed Zarutska taking a seat on the train one row ahead of Brown following a shift at a local pizzeria. Minutes later, the assailant took a knife from his pocket, stood up, and began stabbing the victim repeatedly. Zarutska died from the injuries at the scene.
Psych Evaluation
One week after the unprovoked slaying, Judge Roy Wiggins signed an order committing Brown to a psychiatric hospital to determine his mental fitness to stand trial. If he is not mentally fit, he could be involuntarily committed to a state psychiatric facility indefinitely. According to court documents, the evaluation cannot exceed 60 days.
WBTV in Charlotte interviewed Dr. Robert Cochrane, the statewide director of Forensic Services who oversees all court-ordered evaluations in North Carolina, on how the process generally works. He said there are usually “quite extensive assessments” of the individual before an evaluator determines whether the person “suffers from a mental illness or defect” and, if so, whether “they are capable to proceed in their trial.”
“The system is built around having hearings, making determination, cross-examining witnesses, having the individual evaluated by another professional or even a third professional to get other opinions so that the right decision, the right call is made at the end of the day,” Dr. Cochrane told WBTV.
The Rap Sheet
Brown had a lengthy rap sheet before allegedly killing Zarutska. He was convicted in 2013 for larceny and breaking and entering. In 2015, he served time for robbery with a dangerous weapon. He was well known by law enforcement and known to have schizophrenia before the murder.
At the time of the attack, Brown still faced charges from a January arrest for misusing 911 after he repeatedly called to report he had been implanted with “man-made material” controlling how he walked, talked, and ate.
In July, Judge Wiggins ordered a mental evaluation at the request of a public defender, but he notably did not detain Brown pending the evaluation despite obvious signs of severe mental illness. That move came seven months after Brown’s initial arrest for the crime and the decision by Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes – whom Judge Wiggins oversees – not to detain Brown nor to order a psych evaluation then.
Brown’s mother told WSOC that she believes the system failed her son, and he never should have been released after his January arrest.
What Comes Next
Online court records indicate the next hearing is set for September 19, though it remains unclear whether that date will stand. Brown is charged with first-degree murder in state court, and one federal count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. He faces a maximum of life without parole or the death penalty.
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