An Illinois man convicted of brutally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy to death and seriously wounding the child’s mother has been sentenced to 53 years in prison — a term that makes it all but certain he will die behind bars.
Joseph Czuba, 73, was sentenced Thursday in Will County Court for the October 2023 attack that claimed the life of young Wadee Alfayoumi and critically injured his mother, Hanan Shaheen. Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak delivered the sentence following Czuba’s February conviction on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and hate crimes.
According to court records and a statement by CAIR-Chicago, Czuba received 30 years for Wadee’s murder (to be served at 100%), 20 years for the attempted murder of Shaheen, and three years for the hate crime — totaling 53 years.
“This was not just a senseless act of violence — it was an act of hatred,” Judge Bertani-Tomczak said. “The targeting of a child for his faith and ethnicity is an affront to everything this society stands for.”
Authorities said Czuba, the family’s landlord, had been radicalized by anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric. Prosecutors said he carried out the stabbing after consuming inflammatory media coverage about the Middle East. Wadee was stabbed 26 times, while his mother sustained more than a dozen wounds but survived.
In a powerful courtroom moment, Wadee’s grandfather addressed Czuba directly. “We deserve for Mr. Joseph to explain his act… One stab was not enough. When he sat on top of him, what did he think?” he said. “What type of news did he hear—on TV, radio, or whatever—that made him do such an unheard-of crime?” Wadee’s father, overwhelmed with grief, was unable to speak.
Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, delivered a poignant response following the sentencing:
“No sentence can restore what was taken, but today’s outcome delivers a necessary measure of justice,” Rehab said. “Wadee was an innocent child. He was targeted because of who he was—Muslim, Palestinian, and loved. Our work now is to ensure that no other child suffers from the deadly consequences of hate.
As we speak, boys and girls, just like Wadee, are mass murdered weekly in Gaza. But rather than being brought to justice, their killers are protected by the majority of our politicians and whitewashed by much of our media.”
The case drew national and international condemnation. President Biden previously called the 2023 attack “horrifying,” urging Americans to reject hate in all its forms. Civil rights groups have renewed calls for stronger protections against Islamophobia and racially motivated violence.
Czuba declined to speak during sentencing. His defense attorneys have stated they intend to appeal.
Though justice has been rendered in the courtroom, advocates say the broader battle against hate-fueled violence continues — a fight Wadee’s memory will now symbolize.
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