CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A man charged in the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on a North Carolina commuter train cannot currently stand trial because of his mental illness and will undergo medical treatment to try to restore his competency, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, faces a federal charge of causing death on a mass transportation system in the killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, a charge that is punishable by death. A separate state case against Brown, in which he is charged with first-degree murder, is on pause pending the outcome of the federal case.
At the request of Brown’s attorneys, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell found that their client is not currently competent to stand trial and ordered him to spend up to four months in a prison medical facility to try to restore his competency.
Defense attorneys stated in a court filing that Brown insisted on conveying specific concerns to the court. He claimed, “I would like to tell the court I have a body emergency. Someone has full access to my body and they are controlling me wrongfully. And law enforcement refuses to investigate it. And it requires an investigation. When describing the technology someone was using, I was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.”
Brown expressed a desire for a court order to direct law enforcement to investigate his alleged “body emergency,” as detailed by his lawyers.
A forensic evaluation conducted by federal mental health examiners, which was filed under seal in April, concluded that Brown is “presently not competent to stand trial, but that his prognosis for restoration to competency is favorable with appropriate medication therapy,” according to the judge’s order.
Judge Bell noted that Brown “is suffering from a mental disease or defect that renders him unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings or to assist properly in his defense.”
The judge ordered Brown committed to the custody of the attorney general for hospitalization and treatment to assess the likelihood of restoring his competency in the foreseeable future.
Once the four-month treatment period concludes, the judge will evaluate whether Brown’s competency has been restored and if the case can proceed. Depending on the outcome, the judge may determine if continued treatment is necessary or if Brown cannot be made competent for trial.
