EXCLUSIVE: Iryna Zarutska’s sister revealed she once called at 7:58 p.m. just to say, “See you soon.” But the phone’s call logs didn’t record that number.

The Phantom Call: A Sister’s Last Words and the Deepening Mystery of Iryna Zarutska’s Death

The tragic murder of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail train on August 22, 2025, continues to unravel with haunting new details. An exclusive revelation from her sister discloses that Zarutska made a phone call at 7:58 p.m. that evening, just hours before her death, saying only, “See you soon.” Yet, chillingly, her phone’s call logs show no record of this number. This phantom call joins a web of enigmatic clues—a crumpled train ticket with the note “Return to your seat,” a notebook with a mysterious triangle symbol, and a 37-second call ending with “Don’t come”—that paint a portrait of a young woman whose final hours were marked by cryptic signs. As the investigation into her killer, Decarlos Brown Jr., intensifies, these details raise questions about unseen connections, technological anomalies, or even something more unsettling, amplifying the public’s demand for answers in a case that exposes systemic failures and raw grief.

A Life of Hope Cut Short

Iryna Zarutska fled Ukraine in August 2022 with her mother, Anna, sister, and brother, escaping Russia’s invasion to seek safety in Charlotte, North Carolina. Born on May 22, 2002, in Kyiv, she graduated from Synergy College with a degree in Art and Restoration and continued her studies at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College from 2023 to 2025, aspiring to become a veterinary assistant. Known for her vibrant smile, love for animals—she often walked neighbors’ pets—and artistic talent, she gifted sketches to friends and family while working at Zepeddie’s Pizzeria. Colleagues described her as cheerful, texting her boyfriend, Stanislav Nikulytsia, on August 22 to say she’d be home soon after her shift.

But around 9:46 p.m., Zarutska boarded the Lynx Blue Line at East/West Boulevard station, still in her uniform, clutching a paper ticket. Four minutes later, Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia and a criminal record of 14 arrests since 2011—including armed robbery, felony larceny, and communicating threats—attacked her with a folding pocket knife, stabbing her three times, including in the neck. Surveillance footage released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) on September 5 captures her collapse as blood spills, with passengers largely frozen. She was pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m. Brown, who discarded the knife and was arrested after treatment for a hand injury, faces state first-degree murder charges and federal counts carrying potential death penalty implications. Authorities found no prior connection or clear motive, though audio of Brown muttering, “I got that white girl,” has fueled racial bias debates without a hate crime designation.

The Missing Call: A Sister’s Memory

The revelation of the 7:58 p.m. call comes from Zarutska’s sister, who insists Iryna called her that evening, speaking briefly to say, “See you soon,” a phrase consistent with her habit of checking in before heading home. Yet, investigators found no trace of this call in her phone’s logs, raising perplexing questions. Was the call made from another device, perhaps a work phone or a borrowed one? Could it be a glitch, intentional deletion, or something more inexplicable? This anomaly echoes other mysteries: the ticket note reading “Return to your seat,” clutched tightly by Zarutska; a notebook at her workplace with a triangle symbol dated August 22, alien to her usual art; and a 37-second call at the station ending with “Don’t come.” Together, they suggest a pattern of cryptic signals, as if Zarutska was caught in a web of subtle warnings or coincidences.

Investigators are examining her phone for tampering or technical issues, but the sister’s account adds emotional weight. “She sounded normal, happy even,” her sister reportedly said, making the absence of the call log more baffling. Some on X speculate it could involve a second phone or an untracked app, while others wonder if it points to an unreported interaction that evening. Brown’s own recorded jail call, where he claimed “materials” in his body compelled him to stab Zarutska because she was “reading his mind,” offers no clear link but underscores his mental instability. His family, citing his schizophrenia, noted he was released on no-cash bail in January 2025 despite worsening symptoms, a decision his mother now regrets.

A Scene of Apathy and Outrage

The surveillance footage, showing Zarutska’s collapse and passengers’ inaction, has intensified public anger. Over two minutes passed before a man attempted CPR, using his shirt to stem the blood, delayed by the scene’s horror. Security was one car away, yet absent during the critical 7.5 minutes until police arrived. X posts lament the “banality of evil,” with one user noting Zarutska’s desperate glance at a woman who walked away. Influencer Ian Miles Cheong wrote, “Surrounded by people, she died as if alone.”

The case has sparked debates on crime, mental health, and transit safety in Democratic-led cities. Former President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized “soft-on-crime” policies, with Bondi stating, “Her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies.” Elon Musk highlighted media undercoverage, contrasting it with cases like George Floyd’s, while CNN faced backlash for omitting Brown’s audio quote. Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles and City Council member Dimple Ajmera pushed for mental health reforms and enhanced CATS security, with the U.S. Transportation Secretary probing system failures.

A Family’s Anguish and a Community’s Resolve

Zarutska’s family, reeling from loss, raised over $12,000 via GoFundMe for relatives in Ukraine, stating, “Iryna came here to find peace and safety and instead found tragedy.” Her uncle’s words, “She didn’t deserve that,” echo in tributes describing her as “scared, alone, and dying.” A vigil on August 31 honored her at the station. Her boyfriend, Stanislav, is haunted by her final texts and the unrecorded call, now a spectral “See you soon” that never materialized.

The missing call log, like the ticket note and triangle symbol, suggests an elusive truth. Was it a technical error, a hidden device, or a fleeting moment lost to chaos? As Brown’s competency evaluation continues, these clues demand investigation. Ukrainian communities express horror, with one resident unsurprised by Charlotte’s crime. The call’s absence mirrors the silence of bystanders, urging reforms in mental health, bail policies, and transit security. Zarutska’s “See you soon” lingers as a promise unfulfilled, a call to ensure no one else dies amid such haunting mysteries.