Defense brings up FBI investigation in Plainfield Township hate crime murder trial

The mother of a child killed in what Will County prosecutors called an anti-Muslim hate crime spoke with FBI agents about the incident but federal officials are still not saying much about the investigation.

A few details about the FBI investigation emerged on Tuesday in the trial of Joseph Czuba, 73, a former Plainfield Township landlord charged with the attempted murder of Hanan Shaheen, 33, and the first-degree murder of her 6-year-old son, Wadee Alfayoumi.

The federal hate crime investigation was announced by former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in the wake of Wadee’s death on Oct. 14, 2023. The Will County case against Czuba was delayed for months as his attorneys waited on reports from that investigation.

During Shaheen’s testimony in Will County court on Tuesday, Czuba’s attorney, George Lenard, asked Shaheen about her meeting with FBI agents on November 2023 and January 2024.

At that point, the jury went on a short break. Prosecutors and Lenard had a debate over his questions about the investigation before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak outside the presence of the jury.

Lenard told Bertani-Tomczak he was asking Shaheen about her interviews with the FBI because she added details that she did not tell local police investigating the incident.

“It’s proper impeachment (of a witness)” Lenard said.

Assistant State’s Attorney Christine Vukmir told Bertani-Tomczak that Shaheen’s testimony on Tuesday was consistent with FBI reports of the incident.

Shaheen confirmed as much on the witness stand.

The Chicago public affairs team for the FBI told The Herald-News on Tuesday that U.S. Department of Justice policy “prevents the FBI from commenting on the nature or existence of an investigation.”

The team referred questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A spokesman for the office in Chicago has not responded to messages about the case.

In a 2023 statement, Garland said the incident “cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence.”

“The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country. We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate,” Garland said.