Desk Report,
Juba, the killer of a Palestinian-American child in the United States, has died
Joseph Juba, who was convicted of killing Palestinian-American child Wadeya al-Fawmi (6) in Illinois, USA, almost two years ago, has died. He was 73 years old.
Juba was the Wadeyas’ landlord. Juba attacked Wadeya and her mother, Hanan Shaheen, a few days after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.
Juba, the killer of a Palestinian-American child in the United States, has died
The attack on the Wadeyas was carried out because they were Muslims. Juba stabbed Wadeya to death. And his mother Shaheen was seriously injured. Juba was immediately arrested in the incident. In February this year, the court found Juba guilty of murder, attempted murder and hate crimes. He was later sentenced to 53 years in prison.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing the Will County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois, that Juba died in the custody of the state Department of Corrections on Thursday. Law enforcement agencies did not comment when contacted for comment on Juba’s death. Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said in a statement Saturday that this depraved killer is dead. But the hatred is still alive and well.
Evidence presented in court included Shaheen’s emotional testimony, his panicked 911 call, photos of the blood-splattered crime scene and police video footage. The jury found Juba guilty based on this evidence. Shaheen told the court that Juba first attacked him with a serrated military knife. He somehow got into the bathroom, locked the door and called the police. In the meantime, Juba brutally stabbed his six-year-old son Wadeya, who was in the next room.
Shaheen also said that during the attack, Juba repeatedly said, ‘You have to leave. Because, you are Muslim.’ Juba also said, ‘You are Muslim, so you have to die.’
Police said that the child was stabbed 26 times. And the knife was left in his body.
Juba’s ex-wife Mary also testified in court. In her testimony, she said that Juba became agitated over the Israel-Hamas war that had started a few days before the attack. They later divorced.
The court sentenced Juba to 30 years in prison for killing Wadeya. In addition, he was sentenced to 20 years for attempting to murder Shaheen and another 3 years for hate crimes. According to the court’s verdict, Juba was supposed to serve this sentence consecutively. The incident caused a stir around the world at the time. The attack was condemned by then US President Joe Biden, who called it an “act of terrible hatred”. He said, “Such actions have no place on American soil.”
