Psychiatric Tests Requested For Plainfield Hate Crime Slaying Defendant: Report

PLAINFIELD, IL — The defense for Joseph Czuba on trial for murder and hate crime charges hired a forensic psychiatrist to evaluate the Plainfield Township landlord, according to reports from Shaw Local.

The public defenders appointed to represent 72-year-old Czuba, George Lenard and Kylie Blatti, appeared before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak Thursday to request reports from federal authorities for the Ohio forensic psychiatrist to use in his evaluation, the outlet reported.

The judge granted the attorney's request to receive federal reports as well as any audio recordings of conversations between Czuba and visitors, inmates and correctional staff at the Will County jail. According to a motion Lenard filed Nov. 6, Czuba also had talks with "another individual who may or may not be an inmate, but an individual purporting to be an inmate."

The state will have 14 days to tender the additional discovery.

"The judge ordered the state to do the best they can to obtain those reports and get them to the defense," Lenard told Patch in a comment.

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Czuba is being tried for fatally stabbing 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and critically injuring his mother, Hanan Shaheen, in the home they shared with Czuba and his wife. Will County prosecutors said his attack was motivated by the family's Muslim faith as a result of his grievances with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Czuba was indicted of three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of hate crime.

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