A 73-year-old landlord from Illinois has been given a 53-year prison sentence for the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian-American child and seriously injuring the boy’s mother.
In February, Joseph Czuba was found guilty of murder and hate crimes for killing Wadee Alfayoumi and attacking his mother Hanan Shaheen in 2023, following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict, BBC news reported.
The victims were residing as tenants in Czuba’s property in Plainfield, situated approximately 64 km from Chicago. The prosecution established that he attacked them because of their Islamic faith.
Despite pleading not guilty, a jury reached a guilty verdict in under 90 minutes.
At Friday’s court proceedings, Wadee Alfayoumi’s great uncle, Mahmoud Yousef, stated that no punishment could adequately address the child’s death, as reported by NBC News.
He spoke about the father’s memories and plans for his son, which Czuba had wrongfully taken away. The elderly convict, appearing thin and weak in his red prison attire, chose to remain silent.
The court heard testimony from the victim’s mother, who provided distressing details of the attack, while Czuba’s former wife testified about his increasing agitation regarding the war.
Hanan Shaheen’s testimony revealed that Czuba had declared “you, as a Muslim, must die”, according to Reuters.
The prosecution detailed how Czuba forcibly entered the family’s rented accommodation and attacked them with a knife. The mother sustained over twelve stab wounds, whilst the young boy was stabbed 26 times.
The evidence presented included disturbing crime scene photographs, and police testimony described finding Czuba outside the property with blood covering his body and hands.
This lethal assault garnered nationwide attention and highlighted concerns about Islamophobia, anti-Muslim discrimination, and anti-Palestinian sentiment.
The young victim had celebrated his sixth birthday shortly before his death.
Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR’s Chicago office, remembered the boy’s love for his family, friends, and sports including football and basketball.
