The Identity of the 'Boy in the Box' Revealed After 55 Years

After fifty-five years, the child known as “the boy in the box” has been identified by Philadelphia Police as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli.

Joseph’s body was found on February 26, 1957, in a box just off Susquehanna Road in the Fox Chapel neighborhood of Philadelphia. He was severely beaten, malnourished, and believed to be dead for several days before police first arrived at the scene.

Initial autopsies led police to believe that he was between the ages of four and six years old. Despite the efforts of hundreds of law enforcement officers over the past half-century, the child was unable to be identified until now.

With the advancement in DNA and genetic testing, Joseph’s body was exhumed in 2019 to try and find any remaining DNA which his remains may contain. Police placed Joseph’s data into multiple databases such as CODIS and genealogical websites to try and find any living relatives.

Philadelphia police announced last week that they’d identified the boy and found living relatives, along with his birth certificate. Joesph was born on January 13, 1953, making him just over four years old at the time of his murder. He is believed to have lived in the northwest section of Philadelphia.

Joseph has multiple half-siblings who are still alive and have asked the police to not reveal the name of his parents out of respect for their privacy. Both of his biological parents are deceased. A social security number was never issued for Joseph.

While police are celebrating Joseph’s identification, they have also stated that it is very likely that his killer will never come to justice. Capt. Jason Smith stated that investigators have their suspicions about who may be responsible, but they will not comment due to the ongoing investigation.

Joseph was originally interred in a potter’s field but his body was exhumed in 1998 and reinterred at the Ivy Hill Cemetery, per CNN. His headstone currently reads: “America’s Unknown Child.” The Vidocq Society, a Philadelphia group that has championed this case, has promised they will place Joseph’s name on his gravestone.