‘Building her young life’: Officials share details about Iryna Zarutska

A United States attorney and regional FBI leader fought off tears on Tuesday as they recalled their conversation with Iryna Zarutska’s family at a press conference in Charlotte.

Zarutska, who was 23, was just “building her young life,” Charlotte FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle Jr. said.

She fled to Charlotte from Ukraine in 2022 to escape Russia’s invasion of her country.

Last month, as she rode the light rail through South End, Decarlos Brown Jr. stabbed her to death, authorities say. Footage of the killing has sparked outrage in Charlotte and across the country. President Donald Trump has said she was “slaughtered by a deranged monster.”

U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson and Barnacle said they spoke with Zarutska’s mother and uncle moments before the press conference announcing a federal charge. An FBI translator helped make the conversation possible, they said.

“They wanted to talk about their daughter,” an emotional Ferguson said of the conversation.

Zarutska had been staying in a bomb shelter in Ukraine before coming to the United States, the men said. She had a degree in art and restoration from a Kyiv college, Barnacle said. The special agent added that she quickly settled into Charlotte when she came to the city.

“She made friends,” Barnacle said. “She immediately got a job the first day she was allowed to work; she got a work permit here... She worked at a senior citizen center. She worked at a pizza place. She took care of animals in the neighborhood... She had recently moved in with her partner.”

The killing happened as she came home from work, Ferguson confirmed.

The Ukrainian embassy called and said they could facilitate her return to the country, he said.

“Her family said, ‘No. She loved America. We’re going to bury her here,’” the U.S. attorney recalled.

Brown faces state and federal charges: murder in Mecklenburg County and committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system in federal court.

Family speaks out through lawyer

In a statement this week, Zarutska’s family asked for the media and public to not share footage of her killing.

Attorney Lauren Newton, who is representing them, shared the statement.

Their immediate priority is “to ensure the man responsible for Iryna’s murder is brought to justice and remains behind bars,” the statement said. But they also want change. They pointed to a “lack of visible or effective security presence” at the light rail, a “failure of oversight” by the Charlotte Area Transit System and lack of safety measures.

The family called for a full investigation.

“This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night. We are committed to making sure this never happens again,” they said.

The statement said she was loved by her family and friends and working on improving her English. The night she was killed, she texted her boyfriend to say she would be home soon.

But when she didn’t arrive at her apartment, her loved ones were alarmed and saw her phone’s location showing her at a light rail station. They went to the station and learned the news.

Observer reporter Julia Coin contributed to this story.

Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

This story was originally published September 9, 2025 at 6:27 PM with the headline "‘Building her young life’: Officials share details about Iryna Zarutska."

Ryan Oehrli

The Charlotte Observer

Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.