Family of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee speaks out after she was murdered on train

The family of the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was tragically murdered on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina last month have issued a plea to the public.

Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death while travelling on the Lynx Blue Line near the Camden Road area in Charlotte's South End shortly before 10 p.m. on 22 August. Video footage shows the moments leading up to and right after the horrifying incident was released last Friday (5 September).

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) released the video showing Zarutska seated as she was repeatedly stabbed from behind. She was pronounced dead at the scene, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said.

Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He has a prior criminal history that includes robbery and larceny convictions, having previously been arrested 14 times.

Iryna Zarutska, 23, was stabbed to death by 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr. late last month (Instagram/@lucaveros225)

No motive in the stabbing has been revealed by investigators.

The family of Zarutska, who came to the US from Ukraine in 2023 to escape the Russia-Ukraine war, have since come forward to speak out on the tragedy, with a spokesperson saying in the statement issued by lawyers and obtained by WSOC-9: "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."

Iryna's aunt Valeria Haskell has also told the Daily Mail that the family are 'exhausted' after the national storm.

Speaking near her home in Huntersville, she shared: "'I feel like people can't imagine what we are going through."

The 23-year-old's family have spoken out following the monumental loss (jamesfuneralhomelkn.com)

She said they need 'time' and 'space' and that they do not want to make a 'show' of their grief, adding: "I have no words."

As per the outlet, Haskell said that the family are struggling to cope with the intense interest in Iryna's horrific killing, adding that Iryna's mother, Anna, is too scared to leave the house.

The NY Post also reports that Zarutska's family is asking the public and media to respect her dignity by not reposting the graphic footage of the murder.

"Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met," he obituary reads. "Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her."

You can support Iryna Zarutska's family via her official obituary website here.