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 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 lived at the residence with his mother, Hanan Shaheen, who was renting from Czuba.
In addition, Czuba is charged with the attempted murder of Shaheen, as well as committing a hate crime against the mother and child because 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.
Czuba’s attorney, George Lenard, said on Thursday that 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 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.
The federal investigation was announced on 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 on Thursday. Federal court records did not show any cases filed against Czuba by federal prosecutors.
Shaheen has an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit filed in Will County over Wadee’s death.