GoFundMe has taken down multiple fundraising pages created to support Decarlos Brown Jr., the homeless man accused of viciously stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee to death in North Carolina last month. The removal came after widespread public outrage over what critics called a “sickening” attempt to portray the alleged killer as a victim.
Brown, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder for the August 22 killing of Iryna Zarutska, a young refugee who fled war-torn Ukraine for safety in the United States. Surveillance footage from the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) showed Brown repeatedly stabbing Zarutska with a pocket knife in a horrific, unprovoked attack aboard a light rail train.
Fundraisers Claimed Brown Was “Failed by the System”
Despite Brown’s extensive criminal history — 14 prior arrests and multiple convictions since 2014 — some supporters attempted to raise money for his legal defense on GoFundMe, claiming he was a victim of a “broken judicial system” and a “lack of mental health care.”
One now-removed fundraiser wrote, “While what happened on the Blue Line was a tragedy, what we mustn’t lose sight of is the fact that Decarlos Brown Jr. was failed categorically by the judicial system and the mental health services of North Carolina, and as such is not entirely to blame for what happened.”
Another claimed donations would help “fight against the racism and bias against our people,” framing Brown’s arrest as an example of systemic injustice.
The campaigns, which requested up to $35,000 for legal fees, sparked a firestorm of backlash on social media. Outraged users slammed the fundraisers as tone-deaf, morally bankrupt, and offensive to the memory of the victim.
“You can’t make this up. He murdered in cold blood, and they want us to believe he’s the real victim?” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“Anyone who donated to that fundraiser should be named and shamed,” another added.
“Race has nothing to do with this. The only victim here is Iryna Zarutska.”
GoFundMe Responds: “Violent Crime Defense Fundraisers Not Allowed”
Following the public uproar, GoFundMe removed the pages and issued a formal statement clarifying that such fundraisers are strictly against its terms of service.
“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service explicitly prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with an alleged violent crime,” the company stated. “Consistent with this long-standing policy, this fundraiser has been removed from the platform, and donors have been fully refunded.”
The fundraisers had only raised a small amount before being removed — one page showed $5 in contributions.
Victim’s Fundraiser Surges Past $75,000
While legal defense fundraisers for Brown were pulled, a separate fundraiser to support Zarutska’s family has received an outpouring of donations, surpassing $75,000.
Zarutska, who had only recently arrived in the U.S. after fleeing the war in Ukraine, was described by loved ones as bright, kind-hearted, and full of hope. Photos shared by her family show a young woman enjoying a new life — one tragically cut short.
A Grim Reminder of Repeat Offender Violence
The case has also reignited public concerns about repeat violent offenders. Critics point to Brown’s long rap sheet as evidence that the justice system failed to protect innocent people by allowing a dangerous individual to remain free.
Many are pushing for tougher sentencing laws and reforms to mental health protocols for violent offenders.
Justice for Iryna
As Brown awaits trial, many are hoping the justice system will deliver for Iryna Zarutska — a woman who escaped one kind of violence abroad, only to be killed by a predator allowed to roam free where she thought she would be safe.
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What America needs is to actually PUNISH lawbreakers instead of putting them back on the streets. If they have a mental issue, then put them in a prison for the CRIMINALLY INSANE. No more letting them get away with their crimes!