Type keyword(s) to search

News

Was Iryna Zarutska's body returned to Ukraine? Slain woman's family's plea explored

After the brutal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, her family wants her to be buried in the US instead of Ukraine, and here's why.
posted by Akanksha Mishra
Wednesday 9/10/2025 at 10:40AM EDT
  • WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 09: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks about the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by suspect Decarlos Brown (R) during a daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on September 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. Leavitt discussed a range of topics during the briefing including recent immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration and the release of new documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation by a Congressional committee yesterday. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
    WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 09: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks about the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by suspect Decarlos Brown (R) during a daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on September 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. Leavitt discussed a range of topics during the briefing including recent immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration and the release of new documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation by a Congressional committee yesterday. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

    On Tuesday, September 9, FBI Agent James Barnacle Jr and US Attorney Russ Ferguson held a media briefing about the latest updates on Iryna Zarutska's brutal stabbing.

    In the conference, Ferguson revealed the plea of Zarutska's family back in Ukraine to have her buried in the US instead of sending her body back to their homeland.

     

    In a video clip from the briefing shared by Collin Rugg on X, Ferguson was heard saying:

    "I hope her family won't me sharing, but after Iryna's death, the embassy in Ukraine called and said, 'we'll help you bring her home' and her family said 'no'. They said she loved America, we're gonna bury her here. So I think we can give her an America to be proud of."

    Further in the clip, after Barnacle took over, he talked about Zarutska's intention to "escape the violence of her war-torn home in Ukraine" by settling down in Charlotte. The agent added:

    "The first day she got a work permit here, she got a job. She worked at a senior citizen's center, at a pizza place, she took care of animals in her neighborhood. She was building her young life. She had recently moved in with her partner."

    Barnacle also spoke briefly about Iryna's life back in Ukraine, telling the media:

    "We don't know the extent of the obstacles she faced in Ukraine, but we did learned a few minutes ago that she was living in a bomb shelter."

    Iryna Zarutska was murdered on a Charlotte light rail last month, on August 22, by Decarlos Brown, who was sitting on the seat behind her on the train. Brown, who was a stranger to Iryna, stabbed her neck with a pocket knife multiple times in what appeared to be a random attack. 

    Multiple times in what appeared to be a random attack. 

    Iryna Zarutska's family is "heartbroken beyond words" for their loss

    In addition to their plea of having Iryna buried in the US, Zarutska's family has also addressed her death in a statement issued by their lawyers. The statement reads:

    "We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety, and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way. No family should have to go through this."

    Decarlos Brown's stabbing of Zarutska has been charged as a federal crime, making him eligible for the death penalty.
     

     

    TOPICS: Iryna Zarutska


More Iryna Zarutska on Primetimer: