The court hearing for the man accused of stabbing a Ukrainian woman to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, will not happen until next year.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., is accused of brutally killing Iryna Zarutska in August while she was sitting in her seat on the train, WBTV reported Wednesday.
Brown “was scheduled to have a Rule 24 court hearing on Thursday, Oct. 16,” the outlet said, adding that “A Rule 24 hearing is for the state to determine whether or not they would pursue the death penalty.”
“Court documents said that the hearing has now been pushed back until April 2026. The decision to delay the hearing came from Brown and his attorney, Daniel Roberts. However, the reason for the delay was redacted, according to court documents,” the article stated.
News of the delay outraged some officials. Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) expressed his frustration in a social media post on Friday, writing, “Why was Decarlos Brown’s court hearing delayed until NEXT YEAR? Are pro-crime Democrats slow walking justice for Iryna Zarutska? The public deserves to know.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) called the move “Unbelievable” and said “Democrats are pro-crime and anti-victim. They’re hoping the public will forget what this animal did to Iryna Zarutska, but we won’t.”
It is important to note that Harris and all members of the North Carolina Republican delegation recently pushed for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes over her decision to release Brown before the stabbing occurred, per Breitbart News.
Brown was arrested and charged with first degree murder after allegedly stabbing the young woman in the throat three times before walking away, leaving a trail of her blood behind him.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi later directed her team to federally prosecute Brown, who has a lengthy criminal history, Breitbart News reported.
She wrote in a social media post, “Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people. I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable crime, and he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”
President Donald Trump later called for Brown to face the death penalty.
“The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY. There can be no other option!!!” he wrote in a social media post.
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