A new law could potentially see the killer of Ukrainian Iryna Zarutska put to death using an extremely rare method of execution.
The slaying of Zarutksa, a 23-year-old refugee, in broad daylight on August 22 caused uproar, with thousands of people online backing calls for a harsh punishment for the depraved individual responsible.
The young woman, who had fled the war in Ukraine and sought shelter in the US, was traveling on the Charlotte Area Transit System when she was the victim of a callous, cowardly and utterly vicious attack.
Shocking footage captured on the train – which went viral in the wake of the incident – showed a man who had been sitting behind Zarutska rise and move to pass her before launching into a frenzied assault, stabbing the defenseless woman in the neck three times.
That man was Decarlos Brown Jr., a known felon who had reportedly been arrested 14 times before the sickening attack on August 22.
Tragically, Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene, despite efforts from witnesses to try and save her life.
Brown, it’s said, will face the death penalty for his crime if found guilty, while a new criminal justice reform that has been introduced in honor of his victim may dictate the means by which he is eventually executed.
In the wake of Zarutska’s murder, House Bill 307 — dubbed “Iryna’s Law” — was overwhelmingly approved by both chambers in North Carolina’s Legislature. It was then green lit by Democratic Governor Josh Stein on Friday, October 3.
According to the New York Post, the bill included an amendment that could allow North Carolina to resume capital punishment, including by firing squad.
“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,” Governor Stein said on October 3.
“That’s a good thing and why I have signed it into law.”
Stein did say make it known, however, that he disapproved of firing squads as a method of execution, stating: “There will be no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor.”
The only authorised method of execution in North Carolina is lethal injection.