Joseph Czuba, the 73-year-old Illinois man convicted of the brutal hate crime murder of six-year-old Palestinian-American Wadea al-Fayoume, died in prison on Thursday. His death comes less than three months after he was sentenced to 53 years behind bars.
Czuba, who was the family’s landlord, attacked Wadea and his mother, Hanaan Shahin, in their Plainfield Township home on October 14, 2023. The child was stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife. Shahin also suffered critical injuries in the assault but survived.
Authorities classified the crime as a hate-driven attack, citing Czuba’s anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian beliefs, which were reportedly influenced by conservative talk radio and fueled by rising tensions following the war in Gaza.
Czuba was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and multiple hate crime charges on February 28, 2025, after a jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes. He was sentenced on May 2, 2025.
While officials have not released an official cause of death, Czuba was known to be suffering from stage 4 cancer.
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Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, responded to the news, stating, “This depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well.”
The case left a deep impact on the Chicago-area Palestinian and Muslim communities, highlighting concerns about rising hate and Islamophobia across the United States.
In memory of Wadea, local officials in Plainfield dedicated a park playground in his honor, serving as a tribute to his life and a symbol of unity.
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