Brown's attorneys filed a motion this week in Mecklenburg County Superior Court asking to delay a hearing in which a judge is expected to determine whether prosecutors can seek the death penalty against him. In December, Brown was evaluated at a state mental hospital after defense attorneys raised concerns about his condition.
The report, dated Dec. 29, 2025, stated that Brown was “unfit to participate in the legal process.” The next step will be a special hearing where a judge will decide whether he will go to trial.
Brown is currently in federal custody. In addition to the first-degree murder charge, he faces a federal charge of committing an act of violence on public transportation resulting in death. Both state and federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Context
Zarutskaya killed on the evening of August 22, 2025, at the East/West Boulevard light rail station in Charlotte (North Carolina). The woman received multiple stab wounds. Police detained Brown Jr. as a suspect in the murder. According to media reports, he is homeless and has a criminal past.
Brown suffered from schizophrenia for many years, The Assembly recalls. In 2024 and 2025, his condition deteriorated sharply: he called 911 dozens of times, claiming that there was “material” inside him that was controlling his body. Despite clear signs of mental illness and a history of arrests for violence, he remained at large until the time of Zarutskaya’s murder.
On September 8, US President Donald Trump recorded a video message to the nation, in which he spoke about the murder of Zarutskaya, criticizing the policies of Democratic rivals. The US President named the murder suspect “crazy monster.”
September 10 Trump called for a “quick” trial and a death sentence for the killer of the Ukrainian woman.
September 11 The New York Post wrote that the suspect's mother admitted What her son should not have been released from prison on the basis of a “written promise” to appear in court after his last arrest in January.
