The Decarlos Brown Jr. jail call reveals delusional beliefs and disturbing claims about external control in the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, allegedly pulled out a pocketknife and stabbed Zarutska three times in what authorities are calling a completely unprovoked attack. She died at the scene — a young woman who had fled war in Ukraine, working hard in America and aspiring to become a vet assistant.
“It Wasn’t Me… It Was the Material”: Jail Call Released
Days after the attack, Brown placed a jailhouse call to his sister, Tracey Brown. The call, now public, paints a chilling picture of delusional thoughts, paranoia, and a man deeply entrenched in untreated schizophrenia.
During the call, Brown told his sister:
“Make sure it was me that did it, not the material. And I’m telling you, the material did it.”
He insisted he did not know Zarutska and had never spoken to her.
He added:
“The materials lashed out on her.”
Mental Health Red Flags Ignored for Years
Brown’s family members say the signs were all there. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, he was released from prison in 2020 after serving time for armed robbery. His mother and sister say he became increasingly paranoid, obsessed with being controlled by implanted chips or “materials,” and refused to stay on medication.
Repeated attempts to have him hospitalized failed. Hospitals were either full or cited that Brown “didn’t meet the criteria” for forced psychiatric care. In January 2025, he was arrested for abusing 911, telling responders that man-made materials were controlling how he walked, ate, and talked.
Brown is facing both state and federal charges:
First-degree murder under North Carolina law
Federal charge: committing an act of violence causing death on a mass transportation system
Due to the federal nature of the charge, he could face the death penalty. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 19, 2025, and questions about his competency to stand trial are already being raised.
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