'Iryna's Law' bill could see killer of 23-year-old Ukrainian woman executed by extremely rare method

New legislation could see Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska's killer put to death via unconventional means.

Decarlos Brown Jr viciously murdered the 23-year-old on 22 August, as Zarutska travelled on a Lynx Blue Line train through Charlotte, North Carolina shortly before 10pm.

In harrowing footage released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), which later circulated on social media, Brown Jr repeatedly stabbed the terrified woman from behind.

Zarutska was later pronounced dead at the scene, while her killer - who garnered an unnerving criminal history over the years, which included robbery and larceny convictions, and had been arrested 14 times - was charged with first-degree murder.

Brown Jr had been arrested 14 times prior to murdering Zarutska (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department)

In the weeks since, a criminal justice reform has been introduced in honour of the Ukrainian, after being signed by North Carolina's governor, which could dictate the means by which Brown Jr will be executed.

Known as 'Iryna's law', the bill includes an amendment that could see the state bypass legal challenges and enforce the death penalty in this case, despite this means of punishment having been paused in the state since 2006 (via WTVD).

On top of this, more specifically, its introduction could see Brown Jr face a firing squad in the coming years, as opposed to a lethal injection - currently the only authorised method in North Carolina.

Further, the bill demands that any appeals in this case be filed within two years.

If agreed, the reform will see dangerous offenders denied bail without cash, affect a judge's authority in pretrial releases, and require more regular mental health evaluations for defendants.

A new law has been put forward Zarutska's death (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Brown Jr allegedly suffered from mental health issues, specifically schizophrenia, in the years running up to Zarutska's murder, and had repeatedly been admitted to hospital.

Speaking of the bill on Friday (3 Oct), Democratic Governor Josh Stein explained: "House Bill 307, or ‘Iryna’s Law,’ alerts the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence before determining their bail.

"That’s a good thing and why I have signed it into law."

Despite his approval over this aspect of the legislation, Stein is supposedly against the firing squad's inclusion, previously stating there 'will be no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor'.

Someone all for this method is New Hanover County Republican Chairman John Hinnant, who argued: "The capital punishment by firing squad is not a new concept. There have been so many challenges to medical capital punishment versus the gas chamber.

Zarutska's case has divided many politicians (Instagram/@lucaveros225)

"Science is constantly changing, but one thing that hasn’t changed in science is what happens with the firing squad."

Hinnant continued: "I think we need to make the results and the punishment real. People need to know they’re going to feel it. While it’s an old practice, it’s been deemed reliable as a deterrent."

• 'Iryna’s Law' raises concerning debate as killer of 23-year-old Ukrainian woman could be executed by extremely rare method
• Lisa Rinna recalls terrifying details of how her mum survived trailside serial killer attack
• Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann confesses to murder of eight women over 17 years following unusual DNA discovery
• First woman to be executed in 200 years in US state begged court to reconsider death sentence