The boyfriend of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has publicly shared his grief and criticized the magistrate judge who allowed her alleged killer to be released before her fatal attack on a Charlotte train.
Stanislav “Stas” Nikulytsia, 21, posted a photo of himself and Zarutska in bathing suits on Instagram on Wednesday, along with a simple broken heart emoji — marking his first public statement since Zarutska’s murder.
In his Instagram stories, Nikulytsia reposted clips attacking Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released Decarlos Brown on cashless bail seven months before the fatal stabbing on August 22. One of the stories claimed Stokes was not even a qualified lawyer.
Brown, described as a career criminal with more than a dozen previous arrests, was released in January on a “written promise” to appear at a future court date.
Nikulytsia, who had been living with Zarutska in Charlotte for the past year and was referred to as her “life partner” in her obituary, also changed his Instagram bio to a mushroom emoji, a favorite of Zarutska’s, along with a broken heart.
Zarutska’s family shared that they became concerned when she did not arrive home on time, with her phone location indicating she was still at the station. They said: "That night, she texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon. Upon arriving at the station, they were devastated to learn that Iryna had died at the scene."
Zarutska fled Ukraine in August 2022 with her mother and two younger siblings. In the three years since, her family said she built strong foundations in the United States, touching the lives of those around her. An uncle recounted: "What motivated us to get them out of Ukraine was seeing a picture of them huddled up in a bomb shelter near their apartment there in Kyiv."
Her family decided that she should be buried in the United States, despite the State Department offering to cover the cost of returning her remains to Ukraine.
"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," Zarutska’s uncle said.
In a family statement, they added: "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."
The family also called on city officials and the Charlotte Area Transit System to implement reforms to improve passenger safety: "This could have been anyone riding the light rail that night. We are committed to making sure this never happens again."