Advertisement We need your help now Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open. You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough. If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it. One-off amount I already contribute Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you. An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Joseph Czuba has been jailedCharles Rex Arbogast Joseph Czuba Man jailed for 53 years for hate-crime killing of Palestinian American boy Czuba targeted the boy and his mother because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, prosecutors said. 7.52am, 3 May 2025 Share options A MAN IN the US who killed a six-year-old Muslim boy and severely injured the boy’s mother in a brutal hate-crime attack, days after the war in Gaza began, was sentenced yesterday to 53 years in prison. Joseph Czuba, 73, of Illinois, was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges over the death of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. Czuba was the family’s landlord and the attack took place a week after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak sentenced Czuba to 30 years for the boy’s death and another 20 years consecutively for the attack on Shaheen. The judge also sentenced him to three years imprisonment for hate crimes. The length of the sentence makes it all but certain he will die behind bars. “No sentence can restore what was taken, but today’s outcome delivers a necessary measure of justice,” said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of not-for-profit Muslim civil rights organisation CAIR-Chicago. “Wadee was an innocent child. He was targeted because of who he was, Muslim, Palestinian and loved.” Wadee Alfayoumi’s father, Oday Al Fayoume, right, and his uncle Mahmoud Yousef attend a vigil for WadeeNam Y. Huh / AP Nam Y. Huh / AP / AP Czuba did not speak during the sentencing. His lawyer declined to comment. Will County state’s attorney James Glasgow’s office issued a statement calling Czuba a “morally reprehensible killer” and the impact of his actions “truly unfathomable”. The boy’s great-uncle, Mahmoud Yousef, was the only family member who spoke during the hearing. He said that no matter the sentence length it would npt be enough. The boy’s parents had plans for him and Czuba robbed them of that, he said. Yousef asked Czuba to explain why he attacked the boy and his mother, asking him what news he heard that provoked him, but Czuba did not respond, the Chicago Tribune reported. Czuba targeted them in October 2023 because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, prosecutors said during the trial. Evidence included harrowing testimony from Shaheen and her frantic 911 call, along with bloody crime scene photos and police video. Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes before handing in a verdict. Mahmoud Yousef, grandfather of Wadee Al FayoumiPat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times/AP Pat Nabong / Chicago Sun-Times/AP / Chicago Sun-Times/AP The family had been renting rooms in Czuba’s home in Plainfield, about 40 miles from Chicago, when the attack happened. Central to prosecutors’ case was harrowing testimony from the boy’s mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim. Prosecutors also played the 911 call and showed police footage. Advertisement Czuba’s wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also gave evidence for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days earlier. Police said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child’s body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee’s relatives. “He could not escape,” Michael Fitzgerald, a Will County assistant state’s attorney, told jurors. “If it wasn’t enough that this defendant killed that little boy, he left the knife in the little boy’s body.” The attack renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit particularly hard in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, which have a large and established Palestinian community. Odai Al Fayoumi, father of Wadee Al FayoumiChicago Sun-Times / AP Chicago Sun-Times / AP / AP Wadee’s funeral drew large crowds and Plainfield officials have dedicated a park playground in his honour. Shaheen had more than a dozen stab wounds and it took her weeks to recover. She said there were no prior issues in the two years she rented from the Czubas, even sharing a kitchen and a living room. Then after the start of the war, Czuba told her that they had to move out because Muslims were not welcome. He later confronted Shaheen and attacked her, holding her down, stabbing her and trying to break her teeth. “He told me ‘You, as a Muslim, must die’,” said Shaheen, who gave evidence in English and Arabic though a translator. Police said that officers found Czuba outside the house, sitting on the ground with blood on his body and hands. Separately, lawsuits have been filed over the boy’s death, including by his father, Odai Alfayoumi, who is divorced from Shaheen and was not living with them. The US Department of Justice also launched a federal hate crimes investigation. Yousef told reporters after the hearing that Czuba was a grandfather figure to Wadee and the family does not understand what “fake news” Czuba may have heard about the war in Gaza that caused him to attack the boy and his mother. People need to understand Muslims before judging them, he said. “Some people are bringing this war to this country,” Yousef said. “We cannot do that. We can’t bring the war here. We cannot bring hatred to this country, we need that to stop.” Press Association Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Man jailed for 53 years for hate-crime killing of Palestinian American boy”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Man jailed for 53 years for hate-crime killing of Palestinian American boy”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... Hanan Shaheen Joseph Czuba Wadee Alfayoumi News in 60 seconds Australians go to the polls in election shaped by living costs, climate anxiety and Trump 26 mins ago Tánaiste says he does not believe weapons have been flown through Irish airspace to Israel 51 mins ago Romania braces for contentious presidential election rerun, but what went wrong the first time? child free cafes Niamh O'Reilly: Are we becoming more dog friendly than child friendly? Bank Holiday Weekend Going to the rugby? The Dart line will be closed between Grand Canal Dock and Wicklow this weekend Garda road policing chief says bigger cars do more damage in crashes The Morning Lead Chaos of housing tsar controversy is a symptom of a longer running dysfunction in Housing Christina Finn RT broadcaster Chay Bowes detained and denied entry to Romania ‘A circus’: Mother of man who drowned in Cork ‘cut to pieces’ that people filmed the incident Exclusive: Michael Shine shows no remorse and claims accusers are motivated by money Saoirse McGarrigle Prince Harry Prince Harry wants reconciliation with family but says he 'doesn't know how much longer my father has' more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The Journal supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online