In a disturbing recorded call to his sister, Brown admitted:
👉 “I hurt my hand, stabbing her. I don’t even know the lady. I never said one word to the lady at all… Why would somebody stab somebody for no reason?”
Brown reportedly claimed he believed “foreign materials” were planted in his brain and that Zarutska was “reading his thoughts.” His sister, Tracey, told the Daily Mail that she strongly believes he should never have been released given his history of violence and mental instability.
A History of Warnings Ignored
Court records show that just weeks earlier, on January 21, Brown appeared before Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes. Despite repeated 911 calls in which he described paranoid delusions about microchips in his brain, Judge Stokes allowed him out on cashless bail—simply requiring a written promise to return to court. No treatment. No confinement.
This decision came despite Brown’s lengthy record:
- Prior convictions for armed robbery
- Multiple arrests for violent behavior
- A documented assault against his own sister
Advocates now argue that Brown’s release was the predictable and preventable failure of a justice system prioritizing release over public safety.
A Life Cut Short
Iryna’s family describes her as a gifted artist and passionate animal lover who had graduated from college in Kyiv. She arrived in the U.S. in 2022 after fleeing the war in Ukraine, hoping to start fresh and pursue her dream of becoming a veterinary assistant.
Nine days before her death, she posted Charlotte’s skyline on Facebook, celebrating her “new beginning.” Her family told reporters she came to America “seeking safety from the war and hoping for a new life.”
Instead, her journey ended in tragedy.
Accountability Demanded
Community members are now asking why repeated warning signs were overlooked and whether reforms are needed to ensure that individuals with violent histories and untreated mental illness are not released without proper safeguards.
For Iryna’s grieving family, the question is haunting: How could someone who posed such a clear risk still walk free?
As Charlotte mourns, her story is a painful reminder that justice systems must protect the innocent first.
🙏 Rest in peace, Iryna Zarutska.