Providence mayor calls for removal of Iryna Zarutska mural, says intent is 'divisive,' 'misguided'

The mayor of Rhode Island's capital city is calling for a mural reportedly backed by Elon Musk to honor Iryna Zarutska -the Ukrainian woman whose brutal murder while riding a North Carolina train prompted calls for harsher punishment for career criminals - to be taken down.

The mural, located on the exterior of The Dark Lady, an LGBTQ+ club in downtown Providence, remains incomplete, WJAR-TV reported. 

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The office of Mayor Brett Smiley told the news outlet that he wants the artwork taken down. 

"The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like the one across the county is divisive and does not represent Providence," Smiley said in a statement. 

He said he continues to "encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than divide us."

Artist Ian Gaudreau, who began the work last week, told the news outlet that he never intended for the tribute to be political. 

Upon learning of a project to memorialize Zarutska, Musk said he would donate $1 million in a September 2025 post on X. 

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Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee who fled her country after the Russian invasion, was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, N.C., last year. 

The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, which is a capital offense under federal law.

Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show Brown has a prior criminal history, including convictions for larceny, breaking and entering and armed robbery. 

He served five years in prison starting in 2015.

Zarutska's death prompted questions about soft on crime policies adopted by many Democratic-run cities. President Donald Trump spotlighted the killing during his State of the Union address last month. 

"Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body," Trump said.

"She had escaped a brutal war only to be slain by a hardened criminal set free to kill in America," he added. "Ms. Zarutska, tonight I promise you we will secure justice for your magnificent daughter."

Smiley's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.