An Illinois jury has convicted 73-year-old Joseph Czuba of first-degree murder and hate crime charges for killing 6-year-old Palestinian-American Wadea Al-Fayoume. The attack, which took place in October 2023 in Plainfield, Illinois, also left the boy’s mother, Hanaan Shahin, seriously injured.
Prosecutors stated that Czuba, the family’s landlord, was motivated by anti-Muslim hatred and stabbed the child 26 times. The jury reached a verdict in under 90 minutes, highlighting the strength of the evidence. Czuba faces a possible life sentence at his sentencing on May 2.
