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Boyfriend of Ukrainian refugee slams judge for 'letting' suspect in her murder 'walk free'

Home> News> US News

Published 12:43 13 Sep 2025 GMT+1

Boyfriend of Ukrainian refugee slams judge for 'letting' suspect in her murder 'walk free'

Iryna text her boyfriend, Stanislav Nikulytsia, that she was on her way home prior to the attack

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

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A man understood to be the boyfriend of Iryna Zarutska, who was fatally stabbed on a train in the US, has reposted videos of accounts slamming the judge for letting murder suspect 'walk free'.

The 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, when she was stabbed to death on a train on August 22 - shortly after messaging her partner, Stanislav Nikulytsia, that she would be home soon.

After boarding the late-night Blue Line train after it pulled into Scaleybark Station, not far from Downtown Charlotte, she sat on an empty row of seats in front of Decarlos Brown Jr - the 34-year-old suspect who has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder over the unprovoked attack.

Footage of the incident has since gone viral, seeing Brown pick out what appears to be a pocket-knife from his person, before looking out the window as if nothing was going to happen.

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The recording then appears to show the suspect leap into the air and stab Iryna before walking away, leaving the young woman clutching her chest and face as passengers watched on.

Now, her 21-year-old boyfriend Nikulytsia has since taken to Instagram to repost clips blasting Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who freed Brown on cashless bail seven months prior to the attack which he has been accused of carrying out.

Her grieving partner took to the platform to slam Stokes as being an 'unqualified' judge.

Stokes is understood to have released Brown, who President Donald Trump has described as a 'career criminal', in January on the 'written promise' that he would appear at a future court date.

Iryna text her boyfriend, Stanislav Nikulytsia, that she was on her way home prior to the attack (Instagram/@nstanilsav)
Iryna text her boyfriend, Stanislav Nikulytsia, that she was on her way home prior to the attack (Instagram/@nstanilsav)

The alleged killer's own sister, Tracey Brown, has since spoke to the Daily Mail about her brother’s mental health after visiting him in person.

She said that she doesn’t believe her brother should have been on the streets and recounted missed opportunities from the North Carolina state officials, claiming she had tried to get her brother admitted to hospital several times over the years due to deteriorating mental health but that he was often released after 24 hours.

"I strongly feel like he should not have been on the streets at all," Tracey said.

Decarlos Brown Jr has been arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Iryna (Mecklenburg County Sheriff Office)
Decarlos Brown Jr has been arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Iryna (Mecklenburg County Sheriff Office)

“I'm going to be honest. I'm not blaming anyone for his actions, except for the state. I'm blaming the state for letting him down as far as seeking help.

“When you have mentally ill people seeking help, and you're running tests on them, and you clearly see that you are dealing with a psychosis on an acute level, you do not let them go back into society."

Before adding: "He was a high risk. He was not in his right mind. He was not safe for society. We know what he has been dealing with the last three years and now an innocent woman is dead."

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/nstanilsav/Charlotte Area Transit System

Topics: Crime, Mental Health, North Carolina, Ukraine, US News, Sex and Relationships, Instagram

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

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@JMYjourno

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