The heartbroken boyfriend of Iryna Zarutska, the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee brutally murdered on a Charlotte light rail train, has spoken publicly for the first time, mourning his partner and lashing out at the magistrate judge who let her alleged killer walk free months earlier.
Stanislav “Stas” Nikulytsia, 21, shared a photo of himself with Zarutska in bathing suits on Instagram, accompanied by a broken heart emoji.
He also changed his bio to a mushroom emoji — one of Zarutska’s favorite symbols — and a broken heart.
Nikulytsia, described in Zarutska’s obituary as her “life partner,” reposted stories blasting Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who freed repeat offender Decarlos Brown Jr. on cashless bail in January.
One post claimed Stokes was not even a qualified lawyer.
Brown, 34, a schizophrenic homeless man with more than a dozen prior arrests, allegedly stabbed Zarutska multiple times on Aug. 22 as she rode home from her job at Zepeddie’s pizzeria.
Stokes had released him on a “written promise” to return to court after a January arrest for misusing 911.
Anger Over Judge’s Decision
Nikulytsia echoed widespread outrage over Judge Stokes’ decision to free Brown earlier this year.
Critics argue that Brown — with convictions for armed robbery and assault, and more than a dozen arrests — should never have been released back into the community.
Brown is now charged with first-degree murder and federal counts of causing death on a mass transportation system, crimes that could carry the death penalty.
A Family’s Worst Nightmare
Zarutska had texted Nikulytsia the night of her murder to say she was on her way home.
When she never arrived, her family tracked her phone to the East/West Boulevard station, where they discovered she had died at the scene.
The family, who fled Ukraine in 2022 after huddling in a Kyiv bomb shelter, said in a statement they were “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.”
Her relatives also demanded reforms to improve public safety on Charlotte’s transit system:
“This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night. We are committed to making sure this never happens again.”
Community in Mourning
Hundreds attended Zarutska’s funeral services, including more than 100 residents from the assisted living facility where she had worked after first arriving in the U.S.
Her family chose for her to be buried in America, saying she had quickly embraced her new home.
Her uncle told PEOPLE that buses were arranged to bring mourners:
“They didn’t want to come to this country and be a burden. They wanted to come to this country to build a new life.”
