Mother of career criminal who brutally killed Iryna Zarutska complains about mental health 'stigma'

The mother of DeCarlos Brown, the man charged with the murder of Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte, North Carolina, rail, has complained that there is a "stigma" around mental health, as his case is currently on hold while he is undergoing an evaluation to see if his competency can be restored. He was deemed incompetent to stand trial earlier this year.

In August 2025, Brown was charged with the killing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee whom Brown stabbed in the neck. She bled out and died on the public transit train. DeCarlos' mother, Michelle Dewitt, claims that the case is an opportunity to address the "stigma" around mental health during an interview with WBTV.

Dewitt said that Brown was a "pretty good student in school. He would make good grades in school," but that he had no indication of mental health struggles when he was younger, and that things changed when he got involved with criminality.

“I started noticing him being quiet ... standoffish,” Dewitt said. “I’m like, ‘OK. He had just gotten out of prison. He’s adjusting to this new life.’"

Although officials have not pointed to any mental health diagnosis, Brown's public defenders have said that he “never received the help he needed." In a statement in May, they said, “For years, Decarlos Brown has suffered from debilitating mental illness and impairment, including severe delusions. He has been consistent in his belief that a man-made material has been placed inside his body and is controlling his every movement.”

In the wake of the stabbing death of Zarutska, where Brown said that he "got that white girl," Dewitt says that something good can come of it if people throw out the "stigma when it comes to mental health."

“I pray [that] the good is that laws change,” Dewitt said. “I pray that people would throw out the window the stigma when it comes to mental health. I pray that the good will be that people will stand up for mental health more, because of what has happened. It’s not only here, it’s all over.”

When asked about what her prayers are like for Brown, Dewitt said, “My prayer is, ‘God, I don’t know what’s gonna happen. How it’s gonna happen. But you do, and I trust you.'" She has filed a petition to have Brown declared incompetent and to have her be a guardian or limited guardian.

Brown is facing first-degree murder charges at the state level. A federal case has also been brought against Brown.