Second Ukrainian Refugee Kateryna Tovmash Murdered In North Carolina Within Six Months

A 21-year-old Ukrainian refugee, Kateryna Tovmash, was shot and killed along with her partner in North Carolina on February 14, marking the second killing of a Ukrainian refugee in the state within six months.

According to ABC11 on February 16, police responded to reports of a shooting at a private residence in the town of Woodlake. Officers arriving at the scene discovered two people dead inside the home.

One of the victims was 28-year-old Matthew Wade, an active-duty US Army servicemember. The second victim was 21-year-old Kateryna Tovmash, a Ukrainian refugee who relocated to the United States after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to police statements cited by ABC11, the suspect was identified as Tovmash’s former boyfriend, 25-year-old Caleb Hayden Fosnau.

Investigators said Fosnau allegedly traveled from Ohio to North Carolina and unlawfully entered the residence during the night. Law enforcement stated that the suspect left the scene before officers arrived.

An arrest warrant was issued on charges of unlawful entry and two counts of first-degree murder. Later on February 14, Fosnau was located and arrested in Ohio, according to updates provided by police to ABC11. He remains in custody pending further investigation.

In a statement shared on social media, Tovmash’s brother, Mykhailo Tovmash, confirmed the death of his sister and described the events.

“Refugee, who fled the war in Ukraine in search of safety in the United States, was killed in her own home in North Carolina. This is the second case in the last year when a Ukrainian refugee seeking shelter in North Carolina is killed by a man,” he wrote.

He added that the suspect “forced one of our siblings to wake her up and then shot her in bed, taking her life. He also shot her boyfriend, who was sleeping next to her.”

According to report, younger members of the family were present in the home during the attack but were not physically injured. Tovmash was originally from Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region and had lived in the United States for approximately two years.

The February 14 shooting follows the August 22, 2025 killing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to earlier police reports cited by US media, Zarutska was fatally stabbed at a light rail station in the city.

Authorities arrested 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr. shortly after the attack. Court documents cited by media at the time indicated that Brown had previously been arrested multiple times since 2011 on charges including felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and threats. In January 2025, he was also charged with misuse of the 911 emergency system.

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