Overview

• Joseph Czuba, 73, was convicted of the October 2023 murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the attempted murder of his mother, Hanan Shaheen, in Plainfield, Illinois.
• Prosecutors argued the attack was motivated by anti-Muslim hate, with Czuba becoming increasingly hostile toward his Palestinian and Muslim tenants after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
• The jury deliberated for just over an hour before finding Czuba guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, and committing hate crimes.
• The case drew national attention, highlighting a surge in Islamophobia and antisemitism during the conflict, and sparked calls for greater efforts to combat hate crimes and inflammatory rhetoric.
• Czuba faces life in prison without parole, with sentencing scheduled for May 2, 2025.