The Girl on the Train

Summary

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Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone

Episode: "The Girl on the Train"

Date: September 9, 2025

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Overview

In this powerful and somber episode, Sasha Stone reflects on the tragic murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Irina Zarutska on a Charlotte, NC train, exploring broader issues of crime, race, media bias, and the risks of “white guilt.” Stone weaves personal stories, high-profile commentary, and news reports to examine how ideology and social shame can override common-sense safety—especially for women. The episode poses urgent questions about narrative control, public safety, and the hidden consequences of trying to avoid the appearance of bigotry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Irina’s Story and the “New American War”

[00:00–05:28]

• Introduction to Irina:
  Sasha describes Irina, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee working at a pizzeria in Charlotte, struggling to adapt and “get to know the villains and the heroes in America in 2025.”
  • "She escaped war in Ukraine only to find herself in the middle of a different kind of war in the United States." (Sasha Stone, 00:07)
• Social Pressure and Internal Conflict:
  Irina’s thoughts about where to sit on the train and her desire not to seem racist, despite feeling an instinctive caution, represent a generational dilemma.
  • "The problem is, when it comes to black men, white women are shamed out of that fear. They don't want to appear like racists or Karens." (Sasha Stone, 01:25)
• Reality of Danger:
  Despite her internalized liberal values, Irina is unaware that the man behind her is a repeat offender with schizophrenia—with tragic consequences.

Media, Surveillance, and the Power of Narrative

[03:31–06:42]

• Surveillance Video Release:
  The official release of silent surveillance footage brings the story from local news to a worldwide headline. Social media amplifies the tragedy and humanizes Irina.
  • The international attention derives from Irina’s status as both a refugee and a young woman.
• Memorializing Irina:
  Details from her funeral and personal life underscore her innocence and vibrancy, moving the issue beyond statistics.

The Politics of Crime Coverage

[05:28–10:34]

• Media Bias & Narrative Control:
  After 2020, Stone argues, stories like Irina’s are “memory-holed” if the racial dynamic doesn’t fit the dominant media narrative.
  • "The only stories that go viral now or become major news stories are those that fit the narrative. It's white men incels, white supremacists and Maga you have to fear. So how would Irina have known to even be afraid?" (Sasha Stone, 05:31)
• Analysis from Commentators:
  Clips from commentators criticize Nicole Hannah-Jones for downplaying the story and media for not confronting roots of violent crime—focusing on conservative responses rather than the acts themselves.
  • Nicole Hannah-Jones: "Journalists should not allow ourselves to become tools of propaganda." (Commentator, quoting Nicole Hannah-Jones, 06:45)
  • "If these things are equally awful and terrible, then we should focus on both.” (Sasha Stone, 07:53)
• Systemic Failures:
  Discussion centers on repeat offenders, the inadequacy of the mental health system, and the reluctance to implement effective public safety measures.

Patterns of Violent Recidivism: More Case Studies

[10:34–13:12]

• Kathleen Miles Assault Case (Chicago):
  Stone highlights the story of Kathy Miles, assaulted by a serial offender, to emphasize the system’s failure to keep the public safe.
  • "Like, what is enough? You know what does someone have to do where...they're going to be held accountable?" (Kathy Miles via Sasha Stone, 12:15)
• Cycle of Leniency:
  Multiple instances are cited where repeat violent offenders—despite clear criminal histories—are released due to policy decisions, bail reforms, or clerical errors.

Personal Reflection and Cultural Critique

[13:12–16:50]

• The Double Standard in Victim Coverage:
  Stone suggests that the media downplays crimes against white women to avoid accusations of racism and maintain their ideological “brand.”
• The Lily Burke Case:
  A touching retelling of an earlier tragedy: a progressive family’s daughter is murdered by someone she trusted, with Stone drawing parallels to Irina’s fate.
  • "I knew I had to get the message across to my daughter. Don’t be a good white liberal at the cost of your own safety." (Sasha Stone, 13:47)
• The Cost of White Guilt:
  Stone shares a personal story about being scammed, arguing that “white guilt” led her to override her instincts and ignore warning signs.

Broader Implications: Policy, Safety, and Female Vulnerability

[16:50–21:16]

• Public Policy and Weak Leadership:
  Stone laments failed policies—defund the police, cashless bail, and soft-on-crime governance—blaming them for making women like Irina vulnerable.
  • "The story here isn't to fear black men or that black men are more dangerous. It's that white guilt often means ignoring the gut instinct for self protection.” (Sasha Stone, 17:45)
• A Mother’s Fears and Pleas for Action:
  Stone expresses her fears for her own daughter and argues for a return to honest, reality-based discussions about crime.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "She escaped war in Ukraine only to find herself in the middle of a different kind of war in the United States."
  Sasha Stone, 00:07
• "The problem is, when it comes to black men, white women are shamed out of that fear. They don’t want to appear like racists or Karens."
  Sasha Stone, 01:25
• "I knew I had to get the message across to my daughter. Don’t be a good white liberal at the cost of your own safety."
  Sasha Stone, 13:47
• "If these things are equally awful and terrible, then we should focus on both."
  Sasha Stone, 07:53
• "Like, what is enough? You know what does someone have to do where...they’re going to be held accountable?"
  Kathy Miles via Sasha Stone, 12:15
• "The story here isn’t to fear black men or that black men are more dangerous. It’s that white guilt often means ignoring the gut instinct for self protection."
  Sasha Stone, 17:45

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00: Introduction; Irina’s story and internalized American narratives
• 03:31: Surveillance footage released and public reaction
• 05:28: Critique of media coverage and narrative-setting
• 06:42: National commentators analyze media double standards
• 10:34: Chicago assault case; repeating offender cycles
• 13:12: Lily Burke’s case—A mother’s lesson on caution
• 17:45: Stone’s own experience with being scammed due to white guilt
• 19:00–21:15: Broader cultural reflection; a mother’s plea for honesty and policy change

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Tone and Language

Sasha Stone’s tone is personal, impassioned, and often mournful. She combines storytelling, policy critique, and confessional vulnerability, making the episode both a political essay and a mother’s lament. Commentary from journalists and analysts is sharp, critical, and sometimes caustic, contrasting with Stone’s emotional gravity.

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Final Reflection

Sasha Stone’s “The Girl on the Train” is a searing critique of the cultural and political narratives that, in her view, endanger women like Irina Zarutska by prioritizing ideology over honest public safety discussions. The episode is as much a warning as it is a plea for nuance, courage, and self-preservation—delivered with empathy and urgency.

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For more: www.sashastone.com
GoFundMe for Irina: [Link not provided in transcript]

Transcript

[Sacha Stone]

Hi, this is Free Thinking through the fourth Turning. My name is Sacha Stone. The girl on the train. She escaped war in Ukraine only to find herself in the middle of a different kind of war in the United States. After a shift at Zeppeti's Pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina, 23 year old Irina Zarutska boarded the train and quickly made a decision where to sit. Did she think about her safety? Did she fear sitting in front of a black man with dreadlocks and a face twisted into worried knots? Or did she find a seat far away from him just on a hunch? The truth is that Irina had no real choice. If she avoided the seat in front of the black man, she might look like a racist. She had no reason to fear him, after all, because she was sympathetic to the plight of racism in America and even had the words Black lives Matter and I can't breathe scrawled on a chalkboard in her room. Podcast listeners. A picture of Irina with a chalkboard that says Black lives Matter and I can't breathe. She was learning to speak English, and what better way than to get to know the villains and the heroes in America in 2025. She was just 23, having arrived in the US at the age of 20 with a degree in art and restoration from Synergy College in Kyiv. She joined a settlement of other Ukrainian refugees in Charlotte. She knew enough to tuck her hair into her cap, keep her glasses on and not look like the blonde beauty that has now blanketed all social media. If you look like that, no one will leave you alone. Podcast listeners. A picture of Irina. But a little fear would have done Irina good, as it would do any young woman riding the train at night. Fear is her only protection. The problem is, when it comes to black men, white women are shamed out of that fear. They don't want to appear like racists or Karens. They won't grab their purse in an elevator or avoid sitting too close to a black man. They don't want to buy into the stereotype that has white women fearing black men for centuries. As she boarded the train that night heading home, she could not have known that the man she sat in front of had 13 previous arrests and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. She wrapped her arms around her body and seemed to display a sense of foreboding. She looked afraid of something or someone, just not of the guy sitting behind her with her earbuds canceling out all noise. She might not have heard the man take out his knife. Before she knew it, he was stabbing her in the neck killing her. Did the passengers scream? Did anyone try to do anything to alert her to the danger? No. They were too afraid.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What no one outside the investigation had seen were the actual surveillance recordings. That changed on September 5, 2025, when officials released the video and the story went from a local crime to a global headline. On September 5, 2025, two weeks after the fatal stabbing, the Charlotte Area Transit System CATS publicly released surveillance footage from the train where the attack occurred. The video, which contains no audio, shows Irina zarudska boarding at 9:46pm and sitting with her headphones on. Decarlos Brown Jr is seen seated nearby for several minutes. The footage appears routine. At approximately 9:50pm Brown suddenly moves toward Zarutska. The stabbing itself is not shown in graphic detail, but passengers are seen reacting in panic, running to the far end of the car, pounding on the doors and attempting to call for help. The release of the video generated immediate national and international attention. News outlets across the United States, Europe and Ukraine carried the footage emphasizing the fact that Zarutska was a refugee who had fled the war in Ukraine. On social media platforms, including TikTok, Twitter and YouTube, clips of the surveillance footage spread rapidly, gaining millions of views within hours. Dozens of family members and friends attended Irina's funeral Wednesday here in Huntersville. Her obituary says she had a deep love for animals and wanted to be a veterinary assistant. Zarutska's obituary calls her a gifted and passionate artist who shared her creativity, generously gifting family and friends with her artwork. She loved sculpting and designing unique, eclectic clothing. An online fundraiser has been started to help support the family.

[Sacha Stone]

When her murderer finished, he paced around the train as the passengers huddled in fear with blood dripping all around him. Her blood. She escaped the war in Ukraine only to be murdered by a country also at war. At war with the truth. The truth about crime, about mental health, about defund the police, about bad governance. There was a time when this would have been a major news story. Now, after 2020, this story would have to be memory holed, like every other story where a black man is the perp. The only stories that go viral now or become major news stories are those that fit the narrative. It's white men incels white supremacists and maga. You have to fear. So how would Irina have known to even be afraid or cautious that she might want to find a seat far from everyone on the train? Maybe she wouldn't wear headphones. Maybe she would look around at everyone, even the guy sitting behind her. But she didn't. Here is Megyn Kelly, Rich Lowry and Charles C.W. cook.

[Commentator/Analyst]

Nicole Hannah Jones, who tweets out the following or posts the following on Blue sky, which by the way is really struggling. The train stabbing in Charlotte was awful. It's no more awful than school children being shot down in a church. Journalists should not allow ourselves to become tools of propaganda. If Charlotte is a product of policies, then so was Minneapolis. Outrage should not drive our coverage. She went on how we cover crime at a time when crime is being used as a pretext to occupy a American cities with the U. S. Military is critical. Do we report the news or drive it? So she doesn't want to focus on what happened in Charlotte because she thinks MAGA Republicans are going to use it as an excuse for Trump to drop the national guard in Charlotte. And I have to say, if I'm, I'm a white woman with blonde hair like the woman who was killed. If I were walking around Charlotte right now, I, I think I'd say that's fine with me. I wish my governor would ask for the help so that we could have additional safety and security forces here.

[Sacha Stone]

Yeah, absolutely. That's clearly the politics of it. And look, she contradicts herself right at the beginning. If these things are equally awful and terrible, then we should focus on both. Right, but she doesn't want to because she fears focusing on one this crime and this light rail car will lead to results she doesn't like, namely federal forces who might deal with the problem. Right.

[Commentator/Analyst]

I mean, the irony, of course, the irony. This young woman fleeing her possible death in Ukraine, she was worried about getting murdered by Russians, says she got murdered by an American loon on a train car who was killed as a result of American policy, let's face it, directly as a result of American policy. So it's the race thing. But then on top of it, they do not want to talk about a homeless, mentally deranged man committing crime, Charles, because they have no solution, no real solution for that. So instead we get the Axios article from Mark Caputo talking about MAGA influencers drawing repeated attention to violent attacks after the rising number of surveillance cameras has made them more accessible, quote, has become a big accelerant in these cases.

The cameras are creating the crime, are they? Rather than capturing it. Nicole Hannah Jones, you quoted her. That makes me crazy. And it ties in to the Axios piece as well, because what she's trying to do there is intimate, that there is a double standard in the way that so called MAGA Republicans or conservatives in general look at these Two cases when actually the only double standard is on the left and in the mainstream press. So you have this guy in Charlotte who murders this lady. If conservatives had responded to it by saying, now it's time to ban knives, then Nikole Hannah Jones would have a point. But they didn't. No one said that. No one said it was the knife that did it. Which is the same as the shooting in Minnesota where conservatives said, no, no, the problem was not the gun. What did conservatives think the problem was in Minnesota and in fact in Charlotte? People who were mentally ill not being treated. Now, I don't think in Minnesota the perpetrator was on the police's radar in quite the way that the guy was in Charlotte. But had he been, there would have been no double standard in the reaction. The argument would have been exactly the same. Can we do something about this, please? Not can we take away people's weapons? Not can we take away people's constitutional rights, but the problem is the person who did it and the authorities unwillingness or refusal or inability to deal with that.

[Sacha Stone]

Stories like these are reported on local news, but they never capture the attention of the major networks or legacy media. Like this story of a woman in Chicago who was beaten to a pulp by a repeat offender.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

Kathleen Miles only works downtown one day a week. Today she's still suffering the consequences of that race random attack. But it is what she found out about the person who prosecutors say did it that has led her to speak out.

[Sacha Stone]

He hit me with such force.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

Sitting at home in Lake Villa today, Kathy Miles admits the last thing she remembers before her attack on August 19th is walking past block 37 in the loop on the way to the union station.

[Sacha Stone]

I woke up and my co worker was standing above me saying, you're okay, we're in the hospital, you've been assaulted.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

She then passed out again.

[Sacha Stone]

The next thing I remember is my daughter Deanna saying, hi, mama, I'm here, you're okay.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

And while she doesn't remember what happened, a colleague who was walking with her at the time told her this.

[Sacha Stone]

She had said, this man came in between the two of us, shoved us apart, and then hit me in the face.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

That punch left Miles with several broken bones in her face as well as a concussion. According to police, she was assaulted by 32 year old William Livingston. A record search produced 13 mug shots of Livingston going back to 2012. A large number of those arrests for aggravated assault and battery of both women and police officers. Something Miles found out after the fact.

[Sacha Stone]

Like, what is enough? You know what does someone have to do where someone where he's going to be. They're going to be held accountable.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

According to online records, Livingston's history of random acts of violence against women goes back eight years. In 2017, he was accused of randomly attacking two women months apart. Both cases were dropped. In 2022, Livingston was sentenced to five years in prison and after prosecutors said he punched and attempted to rob four women within 20 minutes in the loop. And yet just 14 months later, in 2023, while on parole, Livingston was arrested for hitting a woman in the face on North Michigan avenue. And in 2024, he was sentenced to 100 days in prison after punching a 15 year old girl, also on North Michigan Avenue.

[Sacha Stone]

Reporting on white women as victims might devalue their brand. It might generate outrage and an uproar that they are contributing to racism and discrimination. But what about Irina and other young women just like her? Will we send them out into the world without warning? That violence can come at any time, no matter the skin color? And why is everyone okay with the double standard, the silence by the media on deaths or killings that don't involve a white man? How do they get away with lying to their viewers and their readers? Has the New York Times even covered this story? If they do, it will likely be only to call out MAGA for turning it into a story about race. Don't be a good white liberal. Those were the words I told my daughter many years ago when she went off to college. Always protect yourself, no matter who it is. Don't let white guilt prevent you from being cautious. I had to tell her that. I had to drill it into her head. It would be our secret. She would never have to tell anyone. But she would know what prompted me to tell her. That was the story of Lily Burke from 2009. She was the daughter of a progressive liberal who helped her mother feed the homeless in Los Angeles. She attended one of the expensive, fancy private schools I could never have afforded for my daughter. One day, Burke wanted to practice driving, so her mother sent her out to run some errands for podcast listeners. A headline, the last hours. 17 year old girl kidnapped and murdered for nothing. She happened to see one of the homeless people she fed for charity. She knew him. He knew her. He pressured her to drive him to an ATM to get him some money. Her car didn't work, so he bashed her head against the dashboard and murdered her.

[Commentator/Analyst]

New developments today in the investigation surrounding the murder of high school student Lily Burke. A clerical error may have let the man charged with her killing roam free on the streets. Also this morning, a group is staging a rally to remember Lily and other victims of violent crime. KTLA's Lynette Romero is live from the Mid Wilshire District with more. Hi, Lynette.

[Sacha Stone]

Asha.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

It was a day just like today. A sunny afternoon, in the middle of the afternoon. And Lilly Burke was kidnapped right from this area and later killed. You can see that the memorial still remains in her honor. And new questions today about why her killer was out on parole in the first place. 50 year old Charlie Samuel was charged with Lily Burke's murder within 48 hours. Police didn't even have to arrest him. He was already in jail on other charges. In fact, Samuel had a long rap sheet. And according to the LA Times, he could have been prosecuted under the three strikes law, given a long prison sentence and Lily Burke would be alive today. Documents show Samuel was convicted of 10 crimes between 1978 and 2009, including home invasion, robbery, two burglaries, a vehicle theft, and various theft and drug offenses.

[Sacha Stone]

She was abducted right here.

[Reporter/Interviewee]

This should be safe. You shouldn't be worried about being here in the middle of the day. Prosecuting career criminals and keeping them behind bars is the battle cry for this rally. Victims Rights advocates placed flowers at the site where Lily Burke was kidnapped.

[Sacha Stone]

That was long before Black Lives Matter. Before defund the police, before cashless bail. Even then, it wasn't exactly easy to talk about a crime like this, much less warn our daughters as they headed off to college. But that story haunted me even now. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her mother to wonder, how could I have let her take my car? How could I have raised her to be so trusting? Why didn't I tell her to be cautious, even around homeless black men? I knew I had to get the message across to my daughter. Don't be a good white liberal at the cost of your own safety. You'd think I would have followed my own advice, but white guilt runs deep. That's why in 2023, I fell for a scam. I thought it was a call from my bank. I could tell the collar was black, so I was as accommodating and trusting as I could be, not wanting to seem like a Karen. He told me that someone had stolen my bank card and he listed my purchases. Somehow he had my account information. Then he said, did you wire $4,000 to someone? And in a panic, I said, no. He said he'd stop the payment, but I had to confirm it was me and that was my mistake. If I hadn't been trying not to be a racist, I might have doubted him or asked him if I could call him back. But I was too worried about his feelings. Once he got my confirmation, he was able to disappear with $5,000 from my bank account, the money I had. I've never told that story because I'm ashamed of how stupid I was, how easily manipulated I was. And that white guilt, it turned out to be a harbinger of things to come. The next year, I was canceled by Hollywood and called a racist, which would wipe out my income. Oh, the irony. The story here isn't to fear black men or that black men are more dangerous. It's that white guilt often means ignoring the gut instinct for self protection. The false narrative pushed out by Hollywood, the legacy media and the Democrats that only white men are bad or violent will ultimately make all women unsafe. And hiding the truth to fit the narrative will get more women like Irina killed. Every night I go to sleep, I worry about my daughter. I want Trump to send the National Guard into Cleveland. I want her to be protected while living in such close proximity to a high crime city. But if she can't be protected and the streets can't be safe, then let her remember to protect herself, to be aware of who and what is around her at all times. I made her watch the video. I don't want her to be another girl on the train failed by weak leaders and undone by white guilt. Irina deserved better. She deserved to fulfill her life as an artist, to maybe get married, maybe travel back to Ukraine when the war is over. But most of all, she deserved to be safe, to be left alone, to make it to her stop just so she could get off the train and find her way back home safe and sound. The GoFundMe for Arena has now raised 112,000. Thank you for listening to my podcast sashastone.com and remember, to thine own self be true.

[Singer/Performer]

You spend all your time waiting for that second chance for the break that would make it okay. There's always some reason to feel not good enough. And it's hard at that. The end of the day I need some distraction. Oh, beautiful release memory see from my veins let me be empty. Find some peace tonight in the arms of the angels. Fly away.

[Sacha Stone]

From here.

[Singer/Performer]

From this dark colonel cherub and the endlessness that you fear. You are Bo from the wreckage of your silent reveries you're in the arms of the angel. May you find some comfort here. So tired of the straight line.

[Sacha Stone]

The.

[Singer/Performer]

Stone keeps on twisting? You keep on building? The lives that you make up for? All that you lack? Don't make no difference? Escaping one last time? It's easier to believe? In this sweet madness? All this glorious sadness? That brings me to my knees? In the arms of the angels? Fly away? Away from here? From this dark? And the endlessness that you fear? Oh, you are Bo? From the wreckage of your side? Reverend breath? You're in the arms of the angel? May you find some comfort?

[Sacha Stone]

Here.

[Singer/Performer]

In the ar? Ah, your angel? May you find some.

[Sacha Stone]

Comfort?

[Singer/Performer]

Jam.