US court convicts man of murdering 6-year-old Palestinian boy

A US court convicted a landlord in Illinois for killing a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy on October 23, 2024. He was also found guilty of a hate crime.

The 73-year-old man, Joseph Czuba, also attacked the child's mother, stabbing her multiple times.

He now faces a life sentence without parole, with sentencing scheduled for May.

Czuba carried out the deadly knife attack on his tenants, a Palestinian woman and her child. He expressed hatred toward Muslims after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

The child, Wadee Alfayoumi, and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, were among the first victims of anti-Muslim hate following Israel’s war on Gaza.

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The landlord stabbed Alfayoumi 26 times with a military-style knife featuring a 7-inch (18 cm) serrated blade.

According to Shaheen, she had rented two rooms from Czuba, who initially showed no hostility toward them. However, after October 7, he repeatedly asked them to leave the house, where he also lived.

One day, Czuba broke into her room and attacked her with a knife. As Shaheen ran for help, he turned to her son and stabbed him multiple times.

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"He told me, 'You, as a Muslim, must die,' she recounted.

The boy succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, while his mother was critically wounded.

Shaheen testified in court, and police also informed the jury that they found blood on Czuba’s hands and clothes outside the house.

Meanwhile, the defense argued that there was insufficient evidence directly linking Czuba to the crime. His ex-wife also testified, stating that she had never witnessed any violent outbursts in their 30-year marriage.

After reviewing the case, the jury found Czuba guilty.

The victim’s father maintained that the case should not have taken so long. Alfayoumi had celebrated his birthday just weeks before his brutal murder.