A federal judge has ruled that the man charged with killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte commuter train is currently incompetent to stand trial and must be sent for treatment.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell issued the ruling this week in Charlotte, finding that 35-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. is not mentally fit to understand the proceedings against him or assist in his defense.
The judge ordered Brown to be committed to a federal prison medical facility for up to four months so doctors can try to restore his competency through treatment and medication, according to The Guardian.
After that period, the court will hold another hearing to determine whether Brown is then competent and the criminal case can move forward.
Brown faces a federal charge of violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death in the August 2025 stabbing of 23-year-old Zarutska aboard a Charlotte Area Transit System light rail train, an offense that carries a potential death penalty if he is convicted.
Prosecutors say Brown boarded the train and attacked Zarutska without provocation, stabbing her multiple times in front of other passengers. She had fled the war in Ukraine and resettled in Charlotte, where she was working and rebuilding her life when she was killed.
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The federal ruling follows earlier findings in North Carolina's state courts that Brown was "incapable to proceed" on a separate first-degree murder charge stemming from the same incident, Fox San Antonio reported.
A state psychiatric hospital evaluation completed in December 2025 concluded that Brown's mental illness left him unable to comprehend the charges or meaningfully help his lawyers, leading his attorney to seek delays in state proceedings.
The state case has been paused while the federal prosecution takes the lead, with any further action in state court depending on what happens in federal court.
Brown will remain in federal custody while receiving treatment under the court's order. If he is later found competent, prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to prepare for a potential capital trial in federal court.
If he cannot be restored, the court will have to consider additional steps, which could include extended treatment or other legal measures allowed under federal law, as per NBC News.
