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Recording Cites Suspect’s Delusions in Charlotte Train Killing of Ukrainian Refugee

He now faces a federal mass‑transit homicide charge that allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

Overview

  • Media reports from ABC News and the Daily Mail describe an audio clip in which Decarlos Brown Jr. says a government‑implanted material controlled him and speaks about the attacker in the third person.
  • The 34‑year‑old was arrested shortly after the August 22 stabbing of 23‑year‑old Iryna Zarutska on a Lynx Blue Line train in Charlotte.
  • Federal prosecutors have charged Brown with killing on a mass‑transit system, a death‑penalty‑eligible offense, alongside pending state murder counts.
  • Family accounts reported by ABC News describe long‑standing mental‑health problems, prior delusional claims, and difficulty securing psychiatric care, while Axios has reported a schizophrenia diagnosis.
  • The case has drawn national attention, with President Trump publicly urging capital punishment and Elon Musk pledging about $1 million toward mural tributes as Charlotte officials review transit security.