Illinois man gets 53 years for hate-crime murder of Palestinian-American boy

Joseph Czuba, 73, convicted on charges of first-degree murder, fatal stabbing of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi

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An Illinois man has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the attempted murder of the child’s mother, Hanan Shaheen, in what prosecutors described as a hate-motivated attack.

Joseph Czuba, 73, was convicted in February on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and hate crimes.

The attack occurred in October 2023, just days after the war between Israel and Hamas erupted. Prosecutors said Czuba, angered by the conflict, targeted his Muslim tenants in Plainfield, Illinois.

Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak handed down the sentence on Friday: 30 years for the child’s murder, 20 years for the attack on Shaheen, and 3 years for the hate-crime conviction.

The sentences will run consecutively, making it unlikely Czuba will leave prison alive.

According to trial testimony, Czuba forced his way into the family’s rented apartment, stabbed Shaheen more than a dozen times, then fatally stabbed her son 26 times.

Shaheen, who testified in both English and Arabic, said Czuba told her during the attack, “You, as a Muslim, must die.”

Jurors deliberated for less than 90 minutes before delivering the guilty verdict.

Police found Czuba outside the home with blood on his hands and body.

The case has drawn national attention and renewed fears of rising anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiment in the US Advocacy groups, including CAIR and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, welcomed the sentencing as a step toward accountability.

Wadee’s family, devastated by the loss, described the boy as innocent and full of promise.

“No amount of time will bring Wadee back,” said great-uncle Mahmoud Yousef. “But this sentence delivers a measure of justice.”