On Thursday, Channel 9’s Glenn Counts spoke with the mother of Decarlos Brown, the man who has been charged in the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska.
Michelle DeWitt expressed her condolences to Zarutska’s family, stating that they are in her thoughts and prayers.
“I am terribly saddened in regard to what has happened. I wouldn’t want that on anyone,” DeWitt said.
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DeWitt revealed that her son had been struggling with schizophrenia and had stopped taking his medication.
She last saw him about a week before the incident, during which he expressed paranoid thoughts about being controlled by external forces.
Brown had a history of homelessness and had previously served time in prison for armed robbery. After his release, his behavior became increasingly erratic, according to DeWitt.
Four years ago, Brown was involuntarily committed and showed improvement, but he later chose to stop his medication and live in a shelter.
Since the murder, DeWitt’s family has received death threats, prompting them to contact the police for protection.
DeWitt is frustrated by calls for her son to receive the death penalty, arguing that his mental illness should be taken into consideration.
She reminisced about Brown’s earlier years before his illness, describing him as a helpful and polite young man.
DeWitt believes that if Brown had been admitted to a mental facility after his last police encounter, the tragedy might have been prevented.
Thursday night, we heard from a family member of the victim for the first time.
“She didn’t deserve that. Nobody does, nobody does,” said Zarutska’s uncle. “Our country has to change how we deal with these situations, and that requires our leadership to take action, and I need them to take action. We can’t just keep doing it the same way.”
The full interview with Zarutska’s uncle will be featured on Good Morning America Friday morning after Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
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VIDEO: Attorney for Iryna Zarutska’s family: ‘They’re grieving in the national spotlight’