The Tragic Case of the Boy in the Box

In Philadelphia, February 1957, a college student came across a box discarded in the woods, which held the body of a malnourished boy between the age of three and seven. The cause of death appeared to be blows to the head. While several major theories have been developed as to who the boy was and what happened to him, his case remains unsolved after over sixty years.

Two major theories would eventually develop over the next few years. One theory came from a psychic who, in 1960, claimed that the Boy in the Box belonged to a nearby foster home. Blankets similar to the one the boy was discovered in were found hanging on the clothesline there. Additionally, the foster home owned bassinets that were packaged and sold in the same JC Penney box the boy was found in, according to All That’s Interesting. At the time, it was speculated that the stepdaughter of the fosters home’s owner had conceived the child, and that the child’s death had been accidental, though nothing would come of this theory.

Another major theory emerged later from a woman named “M” in 2002. M claimed that the boy had been abused by her mother, and that he was later killed after vomiting in the bathtub. Police initially followed up on these claims, as the contents of the boy’s stomach had never been revealed to the public but matched M’s description, but the neighbors would later state that they had never seen a boy in that home, according to American Hauntings. Additionally, earlier attempts to exhume the body to test for the boy’s DNA and teeth had been unsuccessful.

Today, a grave in a potter’s field remains dedicated to the unknown boy, covered in stuffed animals to commemorate the short life, according to American Hauntings. While interest in the case remains, it’s unknown whether the boy’s identity will be discovered.