Iryna Zarutska's killer blames 'materials' in his body for brutal murder on Charlotte train

Newly released audio from a jailhouse phone call captures accused murderer Decarlos Brown Jr. offering a bizarre explanation for the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train.

In a recording dated August 28, Brown told his sister Tracey that “the material used in my body stabbed the lady." He said he was on the train that night "going downtown to the hospital to tell them… that I'm trying to get rid of the material… to stop going crazy."

"They just lashed out on them, that’s what happened, they lashed out on her,” he said when asked why. “Whoever was working the materials they lashed out on her. That’s all there is to it. Now they really gotta investigate what my body was exposed to... Now they gotta do an investigation as to who was the motive behind what happened.” His sister later provided the call to Mail Online.

Brown’s family has said he is schizophrenic. He was arrested after allegedly stabbing Zarutska, 23, multiple times from behind while she sat on the train on August 22. Surveillance video showed her attempting to shield herself as other passengers failed to intervene.

The Department of Justice has since announced federal charges against Brown. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the government will pursue the maximum penalty. “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,” Bondi stated. “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 act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.”

In a press release, federal prosecutors said Brown was charged in US District Court with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. FBI Director Kash Patel described the killing as “a disgraceful act that should never happen in America.” He added, “The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again.”

Zarutska fled Ukraine following Russia’s invasion and had recently settled in Charlotte. Authorities said she was commuting home from work the night of the attack. Brown, who has a lengthy criminal history, was seen on video walking away, muttering that he "got that white girl," from the scene as Zarutska collapsed.