Defendant won’t testify in Plainfield Township hate crime murder trial

Prosecutors have finished their case against a former Plainfield Township landlord charged with the murder of a Muslim child and the defendant will not testify.

Prosecutors announced on Thursday afternoon they have finished their case against former Plainfield Township landlord Joseph Czuba, 73, who is charged with the first-degree murder of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi.

Czuba is also charged with the attempted murder of Wadee’s mother, Hanan Shaheen, 33, who suffered stab wounds as well during the Oct. 14, 2023 attack at Czuba’s residence.

Attorneys for Czuba are expected to begin their case in defense of their client.

Czuba confirmed to Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak that he will waive his right to testify in his own case.

Prosecutors called almost 20 witnesses in their case against Czuba and the last witness was Will County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Jones, who recently announced his candidacy to run as Will County sheriff in 2026.

Jurors saw about 5 minutes and 40 seconds of a squad video of Jones taking Czuba to the sheriff’s office in Joliet. The vehicle ride lasted about 35 to 40 minutes but the video was edited for the relevant parts.

In the video, jurors heard Czuba say how couldn’t believe people are supporting the PLO or “whatever the crap they call themselves.

PLO is an acronym for the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“It’s so evil,” Czuba said in the video, and he added those supporters were “like Nazis.”

Czuba said in the squad vehicle that he was afraid for his life and his former wife, Mary Connor.

“I was afraid they were going to do jihad on me,” Czuba said.

Czuba was heard on the video saying, “They are just like infested rats.” Prosecutors said Czuba was referring to Wadee and Shaheen.

Czuba said in the video he “tried so hard” to be Wadee’s friend.

“I begged [Shaheen] to get out for three days. They wouldn’t leave,” Czuba said.

On Thursday morning, jurors heard testimony from Dr. Valerie Arangelovich, a forensic pathologist who did the autopsy on Wadee.

Arangelovich told the jury that Wadee had multiple cuts on one of his hands and forearms that were indicative of defensive wounds.

She said defensive wounds are a “protective mechanism” victims try to “incorporate in their struggle.”

Arangeloch testified about finding a ScubaPro knife still inside Wadee’s body, which was removed and given to investigators. The blade of the knife measured seven inches.

The jury was not shown photographs from Wadee’s autopsy. Instead, Arangelovich told the jury of the documentation of each of Wadee’s stab wounds.

Many of the stab wounds were deep enough that they cut into muscle tissue and organs, according to Arangelovich’s testimony.

Arangelovich said Wadee’s heart was “stabbed multiple times.”

During the trial this week, jury heard testimony from Will County sheriff’s deputies about finding Czuba with a ScubaPro sheath and belt.

The trial of Czuba is expected to continue for the rest of the week.