Overview
- Brown’s attorney asked Tuesday for a 180-day continuance of the April 30 Rule 24 hearing, where a judge decides if the state can seek a death sentence, and prosecutors said they do not object.
- A Dec. 29, 2025 evaluation at Central Regional Hospital found him “incapable to proceed,” a status that means he cannot be tried until he can understand the case and help his lawyer.
- The defense says a state capacity hearing and any court-ordered efforts to restore competency cannot occur while he remains in federal custody.
- He faces a state first-degree murder charge and a federal mass-transportation death charge, and prosecutors in both cases say they will seek the death penalty.
- The killing of Iryna Zarutska on the LYNX Blue Line in August 2025 led to “Iryna’s Law,” which tightened bail rules and added mental-health checks, and the new delay extends the wait for answers for her family.