Joseph Czuba, the Illinois landlord convicted of murdering 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and brutally attacking the boy’s mother, Hanan Shaheen, has died in prison, authorities confirmed Saturday. The 73-year-old was pronounced dead Thursday while in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, just under three months after receiving a 53-year sentence.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office announced Czuba’s death without specifying the cause. He had been convicted in May of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, and hate crimes, all stemming from a brutal October 2023 attack in Plainfield Township, roughly 40 miles southwest of Chicago.
The attack shocked the local community and beyond. Prosecutors said Czuba targeted the Palestinian-American family because of their Islamic faith, in retaliation for the conflict that had just erupted between Israel and Hamas. Wadee and his mother were renting rooms in Czuba’s home when the assault occurred, according to The Seattle Times.
During the trial, jurors heard harrowing testimony from Shaheen, who recounted how Czuba stabbed her before turning on her son. Her frantic 911 call and graphic police bodycam footage were presented as key evidence. The jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes before finding Czuba guilty.
Authorities said Czuba stabbed Wadee 26 times with a knife pulled from a belt sheath, leaving the blade embedded in the child’s body. The violence was so gruesome that the judge ordered monitors showing some crime scene photos to be turned away from the victim’s family during the trial.
Mary Czuba, the defendant’s now-divorced wife, testified that he had grown increasingly agitated by the Israel-Hamas conflict in the days leading up to the attack. She also confirmed his growing resentment toward the Muslim tenants living in their home.
The crime devastated the community in and around Plainfield, where a significant Palestinian-American population resides. The tragedy sparked renewed fears about anti-Muslim hate and discrimination. In the wake of Wadee’s death, local officials dedicated a park playground in his memory, following a well-attended funeral.
On Saturday, Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), reflected on the news of Czuba’s death. “This depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well,” he said in a statement, underscoring the persistent threat of religiously motivated violence.