Judge Orders 4-Month Hospitalization for Brown, 35, After Incompetency Ruling in Charlotte Train Killing
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
Judge Orders 4-Month Hospitalization for Brown, 35, After Incompetency Ruling in Charlotte Train Killing
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
Summary
A federal judge found Decarlos Brown Jr. incompetent to stand trial Tuesday and ordered treatment, with WRAL reporting he will be hospitalized for up to four months for evaluation and possible restoration.
Brown, 35, remains in federal custody while doctors assess whether his mental condition can be improved enough for him to understand proceedings and assist in his defense; another hearing is expected after his release.
Federal prosecutors said the ruling addresses only constitutional competency, not the facts of the Aug. 22, 2025 stabbing death of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light-rail train.
The case carries high stakes: Brown faces a federal mass-transportation death charge punishable by life in prison or death, plus a state first-degree murder charge in which he was also found unfit in April.