Teenager officially charged as adult in Sycamore teen’s stabbing death

SYCAMORE – A teenager officially faces adult first-degree murder charges in connection with the September 2023 stabbing death of Sycamore High School classmate Kaleb D. McCall, court records show.

The adult charges also mean the teenager, 16, has been identified in public court records and could face longer sentencing if convicted.

Hamza Khatatbeh, formerly of Sycamore, is charged with first-degree murder, armed violence and aggravated battery, records show. Khatatbeh had recently turned 15 weeks before the Sept. 7, 2023, stabbing and faced juvenile charges. Prosecutors filed adult charges in DeKalb County court Monday, records show.

McCall, 17, died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police said Khatatbeh stabbed McCall in an attack that was witnessed by multiple other teenagers in downtown Sycamore following an argument.

Khatatbeh was not previously identified publicly, and court proceedings were closed due to him being a minor under the Juvenile Court Act. Those records were made public Monday in DeKalb County, however.

Derek Dion of the state’s appellate prosecutor’s office is acting as special prosecutor in the case. Dion filed a petition Monday to deny Khatatbeh’s release under the SAFE-T Act adult court provisions, records show.

Proceedings will continue in adult court under a different judge after Khatatbeh’s lawyer, Jim Ryan, successfully filed to replace presiding Circuit Court Judge Joseph Pedersen.

Pedersen had presided over the case since its inception. Pedersen previously granted the Daily Chronicle restricted permission to cover the juvenile proceedings, which are normally closed to the public.

In a Jan. 13 filing, Ryan asked DeKalb County court to appoint a different judge and included Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick is his allegations of prejudice, records show.

“The defendant fears the above Judge is so prejudiced against him that he cannot receive a fair trial,” Ryan wrote in the filing.

In his October 2024 ruling ordering Khatatbeh’s case moved from juvenile to adult court, Pedersen argued that, were the teenager convicted, a juvenile sentence wouldn’t suffice for the severity of crimes he’s accused of committing.

“That means that he would spend less than six years in custody if he was found to have committed the most serious offense of first degree murder,” Pedersen said in the October hearing. “The court finds that less than six years for first-degree murder where the minor acted as sole and principal actor is not an adequate punishment.”

The request was granted by Pedersen and case reassigned to Associate Judge Stephanie Klein, records show.

Ryan also on Monday filed a petition for Khatatbeh’s pretrial release, records show.

The teenager has been held at River Valley Juvenile Justice Center in Joliet since his Sept. 8, 2023, arrest. During his time at the Joliet facility, Khatatbeh was expected to continue regular counseling treatment.

In his request for Khatatbeh’s pretrial release, Ryan argued the teenager has no previous criminal or delinquent history.

Ryan argued that if his client were released, the teenager would no longer reside in Sycamore, would “re-engage” with his Muslim faith, continue counseling and would enroll in college credit courses since Khatatbeh has completed necessary requirements to graduate from Joliet Township High School, according to the Jan. 13 filing.

It’s a similar argument Ryan made in his attempts to keep Khatatbeh’s case in juvenile court.

Prosecutors argued that the possibility of a successful future for Khatatbeh post-sentencing was in stark contrast to the future stolen from McCall, who was killed before he could graduate from Sycamore High School. McCall was remembered by loved ones as kind, funny and hardworking. He worked at Culver’s with his grandmother. He enjoyed bonfires, skateboarding, fishing, playing video games and being with friends, his obituary said.

Klein is expected to rule on the defense’s request at a 1 p.m. hearing Jan. 21, records show. Khatatbeh remains held in custody at the Joliet facility in the meantime.