Who Was Iryna Zarutska? Murdered Refugee's Plight Among Trump's State of the Union Address

United States President Donald Trump's State of the Union address was meant to touch on several matters on Wednesday, 25 February. While there were those who felt it was filled with theatrics, the Iryna Zarutska murder case may have struck a nerve.

Invited to be one of the guests at Trump's State of the Union address was Anya Zarutska. She is the mother of Iryna, the 23-year-old woman who was stabbed in the neck and killed by DeCarlos Brown.

The murder of Iryna Zarutska happened in August 2026. At the time, Iryna boarded the Lynx Blue Line at the Scaleybark station. Moments later, the 23-year-old was stabbed multiple times by Brown, resulting in her death, The Charlotte Observer reported.

How Trump Addressed It

'Last summer, 23-year-old Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,' Trump stated.

However, Trump also mentioned that Brown was in the US under open borders, a claim that was deemed untrue. The 34-year-old was born and raised in Charlotte and was in and out of North Carolina jails, according to National Public Radio.

Aside from that, Brown's Facebook page showed that he graduated from West Mecklenburg High School and worked at a local Subway. According to his mother, DeCarlos was suffering from schizophrenia. They sought mental health treatment for their son but were allegedly repeatedly turned away.

Brown's Questionable Release

Serving time for the death of Iryna Zarutska, Brown was initially released in September 2020. According to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NC DAC), Brown completed his mandatory minimum sentence at that time.

Several months later, Brown was arrested again and sent back to prison. That period lasted only nine days after the hearing officer reinstated his post-release supervision, WSOC-TV reported.

After touching on the sad plight of Iryna Zarutska, Trump's remarks drew applause from Republicans present at the address. However, Democrats did not offer any applause or reaction – something they did throughout the annual address.

'How do you not stand?' Trump said.

Regardless, Trump called on Congress to pass stricter laws against violent criminal offenders. This was to ensure that any future incidents like the Iryna Zarutska case could be prevented.

New Restrictions on Bailing

At present, North Carolina lawmakers have already passed a law, known as Iryna Law (North Carolina House Bill 307), tightening bail restrictions for violent crimes. The bill was passed to make it harder for violent repeat offenders with existing records. It also eliminated cash bail for defendants charged with such offences, according to the Wake Forest Law Review.

The unexpected presence of Anya Zarutska surprised many, as most expected Trump to address the growing dissatisfaction with the current state of the nation. Many patiently waited for what he had planned, especially with the midterm elections set to take place later this year.

While Trump did offer several pitches, it will be interesting to see if these will be enough. With growing dissatisfaction over the current state of the nation, the months leading to the midterm elections should prove to be interesting.