Illinois man who stabbed 6-year-old Palestinian boy to death dies in prison

Joseph Czuba, convicted of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy and critically injuring his mother in a hate crime, has died in custody just months after being sentenced to 53 years in prison.

The Will County Sheriff's Office reported that the 73-year-old man died Thursday in custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. The information was released Sunday in a statement sent to media outlets, including The Washington Post.

Authorities have not disclosed the cause of Czuba’s death.

Joseph Czuba, a landlord from Plainfield, Illinois, carried out a brutal attack in October 2023 on his tenant, Hanan Shaheen, and her 6-year-old son, Wadee Alfayoumi. He stabbed the boy 26 times, killing him, and seriously injured his mother.

In May 2025, he was sentenced to 53 years in prison for first-degree murder, attempted murder and hate crimes motivated by religious intolerance.

“There is no sentence that can be imposed to bring justice for the heinous actions Czuba took on Oct. 14, 2023,” Will County State Attorney James Glasgow said at the time.