Trial date set in Plainfield Township hate crime murder of little boy

The trial of a former Plainfield Township landlord charged with killing a child and attempting to kill his mother based on their Islamic faith is set to begin in February.

Following a pretrial conference Wednesday, the Will County case against Joseph Czuba, 72, has been set for jury trial Feb. 24, 2025. It was not clear Thursday if the federal hate crime investigation of the incident that led to Czuba’s arrest has concluded and if any charges will follow.

Czuba is charged with the first-degree murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi on Oct. 14, 2023, at Czuba’s Plainfield Township residence. Wadee was living at the residence with his mother, Hanan Shaheen, who was renting from Czuba.

Czuba is also charged with the attempted murder of Shaheen, as well as committing a hate crime against the mother and child on the basis of their Islamic faith.

Prosecutors alleged Czuba stabbed Wadee 26 times with a military-style knife. Prosecutors also alleged that leading up to the stabbing Czuba had been listening to conservative talk radio about the Israel–Hamas war and was worried that Shaheen’s Palestinian friends and family would harm him and his wife, Mary Czuba.

On Thursday, Czuba’s attorney George Lenard told the Herald-News he couldn’t share what his client’s defense will be.

“That will come out during trial,” Lenard said.

Lenard said he expects the trial to last two weeks. He said the length will depend on how many witnesses are called by Will County State’s Attorney’s James Glasgow’s Office.

In a court filing on Tuesday, Lenard disclosed to prosecutors that he has no witnesses he plans to call. He also disclosed he has no books, documents, photographs or other physical evidence he plans to introduce as evidence at the trial.

“At trial, the defendant intends to rely on the presumption of innocence,” Lenard’s court filing said.

At a court hearing last year, Lenard requested records from the federal hate crime investigation of the incident so they could be reviewed by a forensic psychiatrist.

The federal investigation was announced Oct. 15, 2023, by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The FBI’s public affairs team in Chicago declined to comment on the investigation, saying Department of Justice policy “prevents the FBI from commenting on the nature of an investigation.”

FBI officials did say that the U.S. Attorney’s Office “may have a comment related to any charges that may be filed.”

Joseph Fitzpatrick, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, did not respond to a message Thursday. Federal court records Thursday did not show any cases filed against Czuba by federal prosecutors.

In the days immediately following the attack, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement about the incident, saying the “horrific act of hate has no place in America.”

“As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate,” Biden said.

Shaheen has an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit filed in Will County over Wadee’s death.