Boyfriend shares moving video of Iryna Zarutska’s ‘happy’ life in America after her death
The boyfriend of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska has shared a moving video on Instagram showing her enjoying life in America before she was stabbed to death last month.
Iryna had recently moved in with her partner, Stas Nikulytsia, in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was killed in an unprovoked attack on a light rail train. Video footage of Decarlos Brown Jr., the man responsible, was captured during the attack. It has since gone viral on Twitter. He was arrested at the next bus stop.
Iryna fled Ukraine in 2022 with her mother, sister, and brother to escape the war. She quickly learned English and had been hoping for a fresh start in Charlotte. Her family declined to have her body returned to Ukraine. They said she loved America and would have wanted to be buried there.
Before her death, she worked at Zepeddie’s pizzeria in South Charlotte. She was also dreaming of becoming a veterinary assistant.
Her family said in an obituary that Iryna was “creativity” and had a vibrant spirit. The obituary read, “Iryna will be remembered for her kindness, her creativity, and the lasting impression she left on everyone she met. Her absence leaves a deep void, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved her.”
Now, her boyfriend has shared a glimpse of her life in America
In the Instagram post, Nikulytsia shared clips of Iryna laughing with friends, dancing, and cooking. The video shows her embracing her new life in the United States. The video also features heartwarming moments between the couple. There is a tender hug in an elevator and a kiss for the camera.
The footage shows her playing shuffleboard in a bar and cooking with cocktails. She is also enjoying time with friends, capturing the small joys of her early twenties.
Iryna died on 22 August. The murder suspect, DeCarlos Brown Jr., has a history of schizophrenia. He now faces federal terrorism charges and the death penalty.
BREAKING: Iryna Zarutska’s Boyfriend Said Their Last Call Ended at 8:36 PM with Her Whispering, “I’m Almost There.” But Phone Logs Show a Second Call Went Out from Her Number at 8:41 PM… to Someone Else
In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through the ongoing investigation into Iryna Zarutska’s murder, her boyfriend Stas has revealed details of their final phone conversation, only for phone records to contradict his account. According to Stas, their call on the evening of August 22, 2025, ended at 8:36 p.m., with Iryna softly saying, “I’m almost there,” referring to her shift at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria. Yet, exclusive access to her phone logs, obtained by this outlet from a source within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), shows an outgoing call from Iryna’s number just five minutes later, at 8:41 p.m., lasting 47 seconds and connected to an unidentified number. Who was on the other end? Was it a wrong number, a secret contact, or something more sinister that could unravel the timeline of her final hours? This discrepancy, emerging on September 18, 2025—just as her father Stanislav settles in the U.S.—adds fuel to the fire of anomalies surrounding the 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee’s brutal stabbing on a Charlotte light rail train, prompting renewed scrutiny of her movements and potential hidden threats.
Iryna Zarutska’s life was a testament to the pursuit of peace amid chaos. Born on May 22, 2002, in Kyiv, Ukraine, she excelled at Synergy College, earning a degree in art and restoration. Her passions for sketching portraits, sculpting, and crafting unique clothing were gifts she shared freely with loved ones, as noted in her obituary: “She shared her creativity generously, gifting family and friends with her artwork.” When Russia’s full-scale invasion struck in 2022, Iryna fled with her mother Anna, younger sister, and brother to Huntersville, North Carolina, sponsored by relatives. Her father, Stanislav, stayed behind due to Ukraine’s conscription laws for men. Embracing her new home, Iryna studied English at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, volunteered at an assisted living facility, and dreamed of becoming a veterinary assistant, often caring for neighbors’ pets. “She had a deep love for animals,” her family shared. By 2025, she lived in a shared apartment with roommates Maria Kovalenko and Olga Petrova, working as a line cook at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria in Charlotte’s South End. Her relationship with Stas, a fellow Ukrainian immigrant met in 2023, blossomed into plans for a future together, including driving lessons and a coastal road trip.
Stas, 24, recounted their last call in an emotional interview with family attorney Lauren Newton on September 18, 2025. “We talked about her day, and she said she was almost at work. It ended at 8:36 p.m. with her whispering, ‘I’m almost there,’ like she was rushing into the pizzeria,” he said, tears streaming. But the logs tell a different story. At 8:41 p.m., an outgoing call from Iryna’s phone connected to a number traced to a prepaid burner cell registered anonymously—no name, no address. The 47-second duration suggests more than a misdial; call audio, if recoverable, could reveal a voice or clue. CMPD sources indicate the number has been subpoenaed, but results are pending. “This could be innocuous—a call to a coworker or family—but the timing raises red flags,” the source noted. Iryna’s shift officially started at 9:00 p.m., so why the call? And to whom?
This revelation cascades into a torrent of prior mysteries that have transformed Iryna’s death from a random tragedy into a puzzle of potential cover-ups. Her final text to Anna at 11:47 p.m.—“I’m coming home”—pinged from an industrial zone miles from Scaleybark station, per cell data. A Scaleybark camera was disabled for exactly 12 minutes (11:32-11:44 p.m.), coinciding with her “disappearance” en route to the train. Train surveillance showed her in seat 14B, with a ghostly reflection at second 27 of a figure approaching before vanishing. Her suitcase remained packed with her passport, family photos, and sunflower sweater, but her diary was gone—only a blank cover left after a hooded intruder was caught on apartment CCTV at 2:14 a.m. the next day. And just yesterday, Stas revealed the sapphire ring hidden in his desk, meant for a September proposal, whispering to Anna and Stanislav, “She will never know about this.” Now, this 8:41 p.m. call suggests Iryna may have had undisclosed contacts—or worse, was targeted earlier in the evening.
The evening of August 22 unfolded with deceptive normalcy. Iryna left her apartment around 8:30 p.m., en route to Zepeddie’s, a 20-minute drive she often took via rideshare or walking. Stas’s call at 8:36 p.m. aligns with her nearing the pizzeria, but the subsequent call disrupts that. Coworkers confirm she arrived on time, worked her shift until 11:30 p.m., and left in uniform—khaki pants, dark shirt, pizzeria hat, blonde hair tucked. She boarded the Lynx Blue Line at Scaleybark at 11:46 p.m., sitting in seat 14B, scrolling her phone. Four minutes later, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 34, with schizophrenia and a criminal history including armed robbery, stabbed her three times from behind—twice in the face, once in the throat—believing she “read his mind.” Brown fled but was arrested on the platform at East/West Boulevard station around 11:55 p.m., per the Justice Department complaint. Iryna was pronounced dead at the scene, her phone recovered clutched in her hand.
Brown faces first-degree murder charges locally and federally for causing death on mass transit, with the death penalty on the table after President Donald Trump’s demands. His family blames untreated mental illness and repeated releases despite arrests, calling it a “systemic failure.” But the 8:41 p.m. call prompts questions: Could it connect to Brown, a coworker, or an unknown stalker? Roommates Maria and Olga recall Iryna seeming “distracted” that morning, perhaps linked to her smeared-ink letter hinting at unspoken fears. Stas, who showed the ring on September 17, now faces indirect scrutiny but insists, “She had no secrets from me.” The family, including Stanislav who arrived after delays, demands full disclosure: “Every call, every shadow— we need the truth,” Anna said.
Public reaction intensifies the debate. Ukrainian media expresses horror, framing it as a betrayal of America’s promise to refugees. Al Jazeera notes the politicization, with MAGA figures like Laura Loomer exploiting the case for anti-crime rhetoric. Mayor Vi Lyles pledged more patrols, admitting “tragic failures” in courts. X threads buzz with speculation, tying the call to the diary thief or camera sabotage. A GoFundMe exceeds $70,000, funding experts. Vigils at Scaleybark feature Ukrainian flags and tributes: “5 minutes that changed everything.”
As the FBI probes deepen, the 8:41 p.m. call looms large—a whisper in the timeline that could expose a hidden hand. For Stas, it’s another layer of torment: “She said she was almost there… but where did she go next?” Iryna’s burial in Charlotte, her chosen home, draws crowds, her artwork on display. Anna clings to photos, Stanislav to memories. The sapphire ring glints unused, the diary pages lost, the camera voided—and now, a call to an unknown. Iryna’s story, once of hope, echoes with unanswered questions. “She deserved safety,” Stas whispered. Until the recipient is identified, her final evening remains a mystery, a painful echo of “I’m almost there” that never arrived.
