Liberal Foundations Spent Millions To Shape the 'Soft-on-Crime' Policies Now Blamed for Freeing Career Criminal Who Brutally Murdered Ukrainian Refugee
Two left-wing foundations, the MacArthur Foundation and Arnold Ventures, spent millions pushing criminal justice reform policies in Charlotte, North Carolina, that are now being blamed for career criminal Decarlos Brown walking the streets in Charlotte, where he brutally murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the city's transit system. Brown, who fatally stabbed Zarutska on Aug. 22, had 14 prior arrests, including an armed robbery that landed him five years in prison, was released without bond or monitoring in a criminal case earlier this year. Lawmakers, the Trump administration, and even Brown's relatives have blamed the soft-on-crime policies embraced by Mecklenburg County court system, which oversees Charlotte. Those policies–including a push for cashless bail, the reduction of jail populations, and an attempt to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in jails–have come to Mecklenburg County by way of the MacArthur Foundation, the country's 12th largest private charity, and Arnold Ventures, the private philanthropy of former Enron executive John Arnold, a Washington Free Beacon review has found.
The post Liberal Foundations Spent Millions To Shape the 'Soft-on-Crime' Policies Now Blamed for Freeing Career Criminal Who Brutally Murdered Ukrainian Refugee appeared first on .
Charlotte stabbing suspect reportedly makes bizarre statements from jail: 'The material used in my body stabbed the lady'
The man allegedly seen on video stabbing Iryna Zarutska on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has reportedly provided an explanation for his actions.
Decarlos Brown Jr. has a lengthy criminal past that includes charges for simple assault, resisting a public officer, communicating threats, theft, and more, according to WBTV.
Brown has also been charged with murder for a stabbing that happened on August 22 on a Lynx Blue Line train in the south end of Charlotte.
'They lashed out on her. Whoever was working the material, they lashed out on her.'
A 33-year-old woman claiming to be Brown's sister, Tracey Brown, spoke to the Daily Mail and claimed that she had a phone call with Brown six days after he was arrested, on August 28.
In the recording, the man reported to be Brown is heard telling the woman believed to be Tracey, "I hurt my hand stabbing her. I don't even know the lady."
He continued, "I never said not one word to the lady at all. That's scary, ain't it? Why would somebody stab somebody for no reason?"
The rest of the alleged phone call with Brown made its way onto social media sites like X, in which Brown claims "materials" inside his body forced him to stab the woman.
"So, you said something in your body did what?" Tracey is heard asking.
"The material used in my body stabbed the lady," Brown replied.
"You know, that's not me. I'm talking about just for no reason. Well, since they did that, since they did that, now they got to investigate the material my body was exposed to. Since they want to do all that, now they got to investigate."
Tracey, trying to find reason within her brother's answer, then asked, "I'm just trying to understand, out of all people, why her?"
"Hey, I don't have nothing," Brown said back, referring to something in his body as "they."
"They just lashed out on them, and that's what happened. They lashed out on her. Whoever was working the material, they lashed out on her."
The sister also asked her brother what he was doing on the train that day and where he was going, according to the audio.
"I was going downtown to the hospital to tell them ... that I'm trying to get rid of the material ... to stop going crazy," Brown replied.
Blaze News could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio or the identities of the speakers on it.
RELATED: Iryna Zarutska’s name should shame the woke
Speaking with the Daily Mail on Tuesday, Tracey, an Amazon delivery associate, said Brown has gone from a "protective" older brother to a person who believes the government is controlling his brain with a microchip that was inserted while he was asleep.
Brown also allegedly believed 23-year-old Zarutska was reading his mind at the time of the stabbing.
Tracey said Brown has tried to get admitted into the hospital several times over the last few years, including calling police about the alleged implant in his body.
These claims are corroborated via a January 2025 charge for misusing 911, with court filings showing that Brown believed he was given a "man-made" material that controlled his eating, walking, and speech.
Screenshot/Charlotte Transit Authority
"I strongly feel like he should not have been on the streets at all," Tracey told the Daily Mail. "I'm going to be honest. I'm not blaming anyone for his actions, except for the state. I'm blaming the state for letting him down as far as seeking help."
The sister continued, "When you have mentally ill people seeking help, and you're running tests on them, and you clearly see that you are dealing with a psychosis on an acute level, you do not let them go back into society."
She added, "He was a high risk. He was not in his right mind. He was not safe for society. ... And now an innocent woman is dead."
Tracey provided several pictures to the U.K. outlet, claiming they are of her and her brother, Brown. She also claimed that she visited Brown at Mecklenburg County Jail last week and spoke to him through a glass window.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Harris Faulkner Rebukes Corporate Media For Not Covering GOP Press Conference On Charlotte Stabbing
'Our news competitors are not covering it'
Official Black Lives Matter Account Appears To Justify Violence In Wake Of Charlotte Stabbing
'We have a right to violence'
Charlotte City Council Had Literal ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ Moment After Iryna Zarutska Murder
'Nobody wants cake right now'
Judge Who Freed Charlotte Stabbing Suspect Has Exactly The Credentials You’d Expect
Roy Cooper attributes stabbing of Ukrainian woman by violent suspect to insufficient police funding
Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina blamed the horrific stabbing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on the lack of funding for law enforcement, even though the alleged perpetrator has over a dozen prior arrests.
Cooper, who is now running to replace retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, finally acknowledged the brutal death of Iryna Zarutska over three weeks after she was victimized on August 22. But rather than addressing the lawlessness that led to Zarutska's death, Cooper said "cynical DC insiders" are using the tragedy to score political points.
'They will not take responsibility for their misguided reforms that let psychotic murderers run wild.'
"The murder of Iryna Zarutska is a horrible tragedy and we must do everything we can to keep people safe," Cooper said in a post on X. "Only a cynical DC insider would think it's acceptable to use her death for political points, especially one who supported cutting funding to law enforcement in NC."
The alleged murderer, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, notably had been arrested 14 times for various offenses prior to the stabbing and was convicted of armed robbery and felony larceny among other crimes.
RELATED: Mainstream media turns a blind eye to vicious stabbing of young Ukrainian woman
Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Immediately after accusing Republicans of using Zarutska's death to advance their political agenda, Cooper took the opportunity to fire shots at his Republican challenger, Michael Whatley.
"I've been Attorney General and Governor, dedicating my career to putting violent criminals behind bars and keeping them there," Cooper said in a subsequent post on X. "It’s time Michael Whatley and the GOP get serious in Washington about funding our law enforcement, and that’s what I’ll do as Senator."
RELATED: Jasmine Crockett's jaw-dropping defense of criminals: 'They literally are trying to survive'
Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Cooper's response to the tragedy was promptly met with outrage on the right, who pointed the finger at his leadership instead.
"Roy Cooper is blaming a supposed lack of police funding on the death of Iryna Zarutska's murder when her killer was arrested 14 times, yet was still roaming the streets," Fox contributor CJ Pearson said in a post on X. "The police did their job. You did not."
"Both Roy Cooper and Josh Stein are implicitly blaming Iryna Zarutska’s death on a lack of police funding — when police arrested the perp 14 times," Will Chamberlain, senior counsel of Article III Project, said in a post on X. "They will not take responsibility for their misguided reforms that let psychotic murderers run wild."
"Their careers need to end."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Each Word Of This NYT Agitprop On The Charlotte Murder Is Worse Than The Last
Get the Conservative Review delivered right to your inbox.
We’ll keep you informed with top stories for conservatives who want to become informed decision makers.
Today's top stories