Defendant won’t testify in Plainfield Township hate crime murder trial

A former Plainfield Township landlord charged with killing a child by stabbing him 26 times and attempting to kill his mother based on their Islamic faith decided not to testify at his trial on Thursday.

Joseph Czuba, 73, made his decision known to Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak after three days of testimony from 18 witnesses called by prosecutors and two witnesses called by the defense.

Czuba is on trial for the murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the attempted murder of his mother, Hanan Shaheen, 33, a Muslim woman from Jerusalem. He’s also charged with committing a hate crime against the mother and child.

Prosecutors said Shaheen and her son were tenants of Czuba in 2023 when he attacked them with a knife because they were Muslim and because he was worried the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel “was going to come to his doorstep.”

Closing arguments and jury deliberations are expected for Friday in the trial.

After prosecutors finished their case Thursday, George Lenard, one of Czuba’s attorneys, motioned for Bertani-Tomczak to rule in favor of the defense on all charges against Czuba.

The judge denied that motion after Lenard waived arguments to support his motion and Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Fitzgerald summarized the evidence against Czuba.

That evidence included testimony from Shaheen. She told jurors that Czuba wanted her to move out of his residence the days following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel because she is Muslim.

Shaheen said Czuba told her that “your people” are killing Jewish babies in Israel and she was “not doing anything about it.” In response, Shaheen said she told Czuba, “Pray for peace.”

On the morning of Oct. 14, 2023, Shaheen said Czuba attacked her with a knife, causing her to suffer multiple cuts to her face. She said she managed to grab the knife from Czuba and stab him.

After Czuba left the area, Shaheen said she fled to a bathroom, locked the door and called 911.

Jurors heard 911 audio where Shaheen repeatedly said, “He’s killing my baby.”

Shaheen said she heard Wadee screaming. She said she stayed in the bathroom because she felt like she would die any second. She said she was too “scared to do anything.”

Will County sheriff’s deputies testified about finding Wadee naked on a bed with a knife still inside of his body. Deputies said, “Holy [expletive]!” and “Oh my god!” in reaction to the discovery.

Deputies found Czuba with laying on the ground outside the residence, according to trial testimony. Jurors saw body camera video showing Czuba sitting up with his palms facing upward as deputies approached him.

Deputies found what one of them described as a “diving knife holster” on Czuba that was labeled ScubaPro, according to trial testimony. The seven-inch knife found in Wadee’s body was a ScubaPro knife.

A forensic scientist testified to finding the possible presence of DNA from Wadee, Czuba and Shaheen on the handle of the knife.

Dr. Valerie Arangelovich, a forensic pathologist, testified Wadee had multiple defensive wounds on his hands and forearms, which indicated he struggled with Czuba during the knife attack.

Many of Wadee’s 26 stab wounds were deep enough that they cut into muscle tissue and organs, according to Arangelovich’s testimony. She said Wadee’s heart was “stabbed multiple times.”

Czuba received treatment for his injuries at a Bolingbrook hospital and he was taken to the Will County Sheriff’s Office in Joliet by Will County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Jones, who recently announced his candidacy to run as Will County sheriff in 2026.

Jurors saw a short and edited version of the vehicle ride, which lasted about 35 to 40 minutes. In the video, jurors heard Czuba say how he couldn’t believe people are supporting the PLO or “whatever the crap they call themselves.”

PLO is an acronym for the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“It’s so evil,” Czuba said in the video, and he added those supporters were “like Nazis.”

Czuba said in the squad vehicle that he was afraid for his life and his former wife, Mary Connor.

“I was afraid they were going to do jihad on me,” Czuba said.

Czuba was heard on the video saying, “They are just like infested rats.” Prosecutors said Czuba was referring to Wadee and Shaheen.

Czuba said in the video he “tried so hard” to be Wadee’s friend.

“I begged [Shaheen] to get out for three days. She would not leave,” Czuba said.

Connor was called by prosecutors to testify against her former husband. She filed for divorce after Czuba’s arrest in 2023.

Connor said before Shaheen and her son moved into the Czuba residence in 2021 as tenants, she and Czuba learned that Shaheen was a Muslim of Palestinian descent.

That knowledge had no impact on the decision to allow Shaheen and her child to stay at the residence, Connor said. Connor said Czuba is Catholic and she never saw Czuba express any hatred towards others based on their religion or ethnicity during their marriage.

Connor said Shaheen and her son were good tenants and their stay at the residence was a positive experience for two years.

But Connor said that all changed on Oct. 10, 2023, when Czuba told her she wanted Shaheen to move out after hearing the news about the Hamas attack on Israel. Connor said Czuba was concerned Shaheen’s friends would come to their residence to harm them.

But Connor said she told Czuba that Shaheen never had guests over. Yet Czuba felt their lives might be in danger, she said.

Connor said she opposed Shaheen leaving.

She said Czuba was concerned about a “Day of Jihad.”

Connor said she noticed Czuba was behaving unusually quiet and withdrawn during the week that ended with Wadee’s death.

“I never thought anything like this could happen,” Connor said.