The Boy in the Box

For a long 65 years, this boy was known to the world solely under the pseudonym America’s Unknown Child. His murder from 1957 was turned into one of the longest unsolved criminal cases in the history of Philadelphia (USA). Generations of detectives were dedicated by their careers to the futile search for his identity, while justice was escaped by the perpetrator. Currently, however, thanks to the persistence of investigators and the breakthrough methods of forensic genetic genealogy, the long-standing wall of silence has been broken down. This is considered a story about how his stolen name was regained by an unknown boy, and how new life was breathed into the investigation of a mystery by modern science, which continues to shock with its brutality even after more than half a century.

In an article from December 2022 by the web newspaper Philly Voice, the unsolved criminal case of the Boy in the Box, who was found dead on February 25, 1957, was examined. His naked body was hidden in a cardboard box in the area of Northeast Philadelphia. The boy was wrapped in a torn green blanket, his hands were carefully crossed over his stomach, and signs of malnutrition and physical abuse were exhibited by him. It was determined by the autopsy that he had died from a severe blow to the head. He was called America’s Unknown Child by the public because his identity, as well as the person by whom he was killed, could not be tracked down by authorities over the decades. During various phases of the case, attempts were unsuccessfully made by investigators to have the victim identified using fingerprints, found hair and fibers, X-rays, and previously obtained DNA samples from clothing and the original crime scene.

The process of the successful identification of the unknown boy was detailed in the news reports of NBC Philadelphia in January 2023. After being buried, the body of the victim was not exhumed until 1998, as DNA technologies had been significantly advanced since then. Portions of the remains were preserved for further investigation, but the case was complicated by the fact that the boy’s DNA had been degraded. In 2019, the body was exhumed again, and sufficient DNA was obtained by a forensic anthropologist for the utilization of modern forensic techniques. More than six decades after a dead and abandoned child was found in Philadelphia, the Boy in the Box was identified by the police as Joseph Augustus Zarelli, born on January 13, 1953, in West Philadelphia.

The successful identification of the boy was contributed to primarily by the technique of genetic genealogy (more can be read in the previous article), by which the results of DNA tests are combined with traditional genealogical methods so that family profiles can be created and biological relationships between individuals can be determined. Based on the results, potential relatives of Zarelli from his mother’s side were successfully tracked down by detectives. Subsequently, further testing and investigation were followed, by which the identification of Zarelli’s mother was led to. Based on a court order, records of the birth, death, and adoption of all children born to this woman between 1944 and 1956 were then obtained by the detectives from the state. A breakthrough result was represented by the discovery of the birth certificates of two children born to the given mother, of which a DNA sample was provided by one. This was followed by the discovery of the birth certificate of a boy born to the same mother in 1953. A social security number had never been assigned to the child. Information about the boy’s father was contained in the birth certificate, which allowed detectives to be connected with living relatives from the father’s side, and Zarelli’s father was identified after a DNA connection on both sides of the family, which could only be pointed to this ancestor, was proven by genealogists.

The identification of the boy was merely regarded as the first step in the still-active investigation of his murder, which might never be solved. A large headstone at the first placement bore the inscription “America’s Unknown Child,” and underneath it, a plaque was laid with the inscription “Heavenly Father, bless this unknown boy.” On January 13, 2023, when his 70th birthday would have been celebrated by Zarelli, a new memorial with his full name and photograph was unveiled. The identification of Zarelli was marked as the first case where an identity was successfully confirmed by the Philadelphia Office of Forensic Science through forensic genetic genealogy. Furthermore, work is being continued by the police on dozens of other cases involving missing and unidentified persons, which could be moved closer to a successful resolution by this technology.

It is shown by the fascinating case of the Boy in the Box from Philadelphia what incredible power is held by genetic genealogy and the careful searching of archives. Decades of silence can be bridged, broken lines can be connected, and answers can be brought by it to places where it seemed that none existed anymore. Your family history is probably not hiding dark criminal mysteries, but it is filled with forgotten fates, the heroism of everyday life, and ancestors whose blood is flowed in your veins. By combining modern research methods, detailed work with historical registers, and archival documents, your roots can be mapped deep into the past. You will be helped by us to discover who your ancestors were, what they did for a living, and where you truly originate from. Let a free consultation be requested via the contact form, email, or WhatsApp.