North Carolina Revives Death Penalty Debate
North Carolina could see its first execution in nearly 20 years under “Iryna’s Law,”
signed Friday by Governor Josh Stein after the murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
She was “fatally stabbed in the neck” on a Charlotte light rail train in August, a killing that outraged the public.
Law Named for Iryna
The bill restores capital punishment and could allow firing squads in the future,
though lethal injection remains the only current method.
North Carolina has 122 inmates on death row but hasn’t executed anyone since 2006.
Targeting Repeat Offenders
The law blocks cashless bail for violent offenders and requires mental health checks before release.
Stein said it will “alert the judiciary to take a special look at people who may pose unusual risks of violence.”
A Divisive Measure
Stein called firing squads “barbaric,” while Donald Trump demanded “THE DEATH PENALTY” for Zarutska’s accused killer.