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North Carolina Republicans are making claims that a murder suspect was released early from prison due to a COVID-era settlement championed by former Governor Roy Cooper, who is currently running for U.S. Senate. However, state records reveal a significantly different timeline that contradicts these accusations.
DeCarlos Brown Jr. stands accused of murdering Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman who had moved to Charlotte in 2022 after fleeing Russia’s invasion of her homeland. The fatal stabbing, which occurred on August 22, 2023, and was captured on surveillance video, has prompted intense scrutiny of both Brown’s criminal history and the officials who handled his previous cases.
Republican critics, including former RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, who is seeking the GOP nomination for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat, have attempted to link Cooper directly to the tragedy. In September, Whatley claimed on social media that “Cooper bears direct responsibility for this heinous act and must answer to the public about why he prioritizes criminals over public safety” – a statement previously rated false by PolitiFact North Carolina.
The latest Republican accusations focus on a February 25, 2021 settlement between the Cooper administration and civil rights groups that authorized the early release of 3,500 prisoners amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fox News Digital reported on February 4 that Brown’s prison identification number appeared in records related to this settlement, prompting renewed criticism from Republican officials.
The Republican National Committee demanded Cooper “apologize to the Zarutska family for releasing their daughter’s killer,” while the National Republican Senatorial Committee accused Cooper of “caving to the woke mob and releasing Zarutska’s murderer.” These claims were echoed by prominent Republicans including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and U.S. Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina.
However, official records from the Department of Adult Correction tell a different story. Brown had been incarcerated from February 21, 2015, to September 20, 2020, after pleading guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon in 2014. Keith Acree, spokesman for the Department of Adult Correction, confirmed that Brown “was released from prison five months before the settlement” and his release was “entirely unrelated” to the February 2021 agreement.
According to Brad Deen, another department spokesman, Brown “was not released early or paroled. With credit for jail time served before conviction, he served 100% of his minimum sentence.”
Why then did Brown’s name appear in settlement documents? While on post-release supervision in February 2021, Brown was arrested for assault on a female and damage to personal property. During a hearing on February 15, 2021, a parole hearing officer decided to allow Brown to remain free while under supervision. The COVID-19 settlement reached ten days later permitted the department to count Brown toward their quota of released prisoners even though he was already free.
Had the hearing officer decided differently, Brown could have returned to prison until September 20, 2021 – still almost four years before Zarutska’s killing. The assault charges against Brown were ultimately dropped in December 2022.
Jonathan Felts, a spokesman for the Whatley campaign, maintained that the decision to allow Brown to remain free after his February 2021 arrest reflects Cooper’s “soft-on-crime” approach to public safety, arguing that corrections officers “could have punished Brown by making him serve the rest of his sentence in prison but instead let him go free.”
The Cooper campaign firmly rejected these allegations. “Decarlos Brown was not released from prison as a result of a court ordered settlement but in fact served his full sentence and was not released early,” said campaign spokesperson Jordan Monaghan. “Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough on crime laws and stricter pretrial release bail policy as governor.”
The timeline established by state records clearly shows that Cooper’s administration reached its settlement with civil rights groups five months after Brown had already completed his minimum sentence and been released from prison. Even if corrections officers had decided to revoke Brown’s post-release supervision following his February 2021 arrest, he would have been free by September 2021, years before the tragic death of Iryna Zarutska.
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14 Comments
The details around this case seem murky, and I’m concerned about the potential for political opportunism. We should wait for the facts to emerge before drawing conclusions or assigning blame.
Absolutely. Rushing to judgment or making unsubstantiated claims, regardless of political affiliation, does a disservice to the pursuit of justice and the victim’s family.
The timeline and policy details around this case seem quite complex. I’m curious to learn more about the specific policies and decisions that may have contributed to the suspect’s release, from an objective and non-partisan perspective.
That’s a fair point. Examining the facts dispassionately, without political agendas, will be crucial to understanding what happened and whether any reforms are warranted.
This is a tragic case, and I hope the investigation provides a clear understanding of the events and decisions that led to the suspect’s release. Politicizing the issue is counterproductive and disrespectful to the victim.
Well said. The focus should be on seeking justice and preventing similar incidents, not scoring political points. A nonpartisan, evidence-based approach is crucial.
This case highlights the complexities of criminal justice policies and the challenges of balancing public safety with rehabilitation efforts. I hope the investigation provides clear answers, without descending into partisan finger-pointing.
Absolutely. The public deserves a full, impartial accounting of the facts, not partisan spin, so that any necessary reforms can be considered objectively.
While the details are still emerging, it’s troubling to see accusations being made before all the facts are known. We should reserve judgment and focus on supporting the victim’s family and community during this difficult time.
Agreed. Rushing to conclusions, especially for political gain, is never helpful in these situations. A measured, fact-based approach is essential.
As tragic as this crime is, I’m wary of attempts to politicize it or assign blame without a thorough investigation. We should focus on supporting the victim’s family and community, and let the justice system run its course.
Well said. Maintaining objectivity and compassion should be the priority, not scoring political points, when a senseless act of violence occurs.
This is a disturbing case, and it’s concerning to see political accusations being made without clear evidence. We need to wait for the full details to emerge before drawing conclusions about the suspect’s release and any potential policy connections.
Agreed, it’s important to avoid rushing to judgment and to rely on verified facts rather than unsubstantiated claims, especially when a serious crime has occurred.