Identified! PA - Philadelphia - 'Boy in the Box' - 4UMPA - Feb'57 #3 - Joseph Augustus Zarelli

[IDK]

According to the article below, his autopsy showed multiple injuries including subdural hematomas which would have been deadly.

What we know and don’t know about Joseph Augustus Zarelli, also known as the Boy in the Box

Joseph Augustus Zarelli has finally been identified. Here's what we know and what we don't about the Boy in the Box case.

www.inquirer.com

It also mentions pleural effusions which doesn’t seem to fit with his traumatic injuries. From what I could find online:

“Pleural effusion can occur if your child has a lung inflammation or bacterial infection. It can also happen if fluid builds up after a surgery. If not treated, pleural effusion can lead to serious breathing problems. That’s why your child needs treatment right away.”

When Your Child Has Pleural Effusion

Pleural effusion occurs when too much fluid builds up in the pleural space. This is the area between the chest wall and lung. Learn more about this condition and how it's treated.

www.saintlukeskc.org

I read somewhere that it looked like he had a chest tube at one time? Could that have been related to a previous lung infection ?

It does sound like he may have had a chronic health condition made worse by neglect and abuse.

Does anyone else remember reading about a scar that looked like the site of a previous chest tube?

 

[Friday Fan]

No, most city residents either could not afford or did not need a car. Cities in the 1950's expanded into the newly formed 'suburbs' which increased sales thereafter. I wonder if they've checked records to determine if 'M's" family owned a car or if those records still exist?

According to M, they owned a car

 

[spacedcurls]

How do we know they are denying it?

It was mentioned in the press conference today. A reporter asked something along the lines of what proof they had to verify Joseph’s father, because the paternal family was apparently disputing it.

 

[txsleuth70]

Ok, so for conjecture, let's go with the aforementioned alleged bio-father as the bio-father who didn't know he fathered a child in 1953...and also go with JAZ has an unknown, unwed at the time, bio-mother, who happened to put the bio-father on the birth certificate (or maybe actually not), but didn't tell bio-dad that she was with child. Was unwed at the time bio-mom (not bio-dad's later wife) the one who kept and raised him? Or do you think she placed him for adoption?

If only they had disclosed that information in the press conference. All parties involved are long gone. Living relatives on any of the possibly 4 sides (bio and adoptive) had no clue of the connection.

The shame and stigma with adoption (both sides, placing and adopting) has got to be absolved from our society at some point. Family secrets and mysteries continue to be hurtful far down the line.

 

[txsleuth70]

Yes, I see the top of his precious little head

Oh my, you are right. But it's fully covered in hair isn't it? That's interesting to note.

 

[MeadowMuffin]

That looks like a body

The Boy in the Box: Who is America's Unknown Child?

The Boy in the Box: Who is America's Unknown Child?

www.dreadcentral.com

Who is the boy in the box


A La Salle College junior was tramping through the woods of Northeast Philly’s Fox Chase neighborhood, checking on some rabbit traps — or so he said; more likely, he was trying to sneak a peek into the nearby House of the Good Shepherd home for wayward girls. At the edge of the woods, he noticed a cardboard box with what looked like a doll inside. It spooked him enough that he telephoned police to make sure. Patrolman Elmer Palmer drove through a morning drizzle to the location, a secluded dirt path off of Veree and Susquehanna roads. Locals used the area as a dumping ground, and the place was strewn with garbage and rusting appliances. A large rectangular box lay on its side in a tangle of underbrush. One end was open. A head and small shoulder were sticking out. Palmer knew right away it was no doll.

 

[Shamrock1]

No, most city residents either could not afford or did not need a car. Cities in the 1950's expanded into the newly formed 'suburbs' which increased sales thereafter. I wonder if they've checked records to determine if 'M's" family owned a car or if those records still exist?

M’s story is that she stood in front of the license plate when her mother dumped the body. I don’t know the specifics of who owned that vehicle.

From Wikipedia:

M"'s mother forced "M" to assist her in dumping the boy's body in the Fox Chase area. "M" said that as they were preparing to remove the boy's body from the trunk of a car, a passing male motorist pulled alongside to inquire whether they needed help. "M" was ordered to stand in front of the car's license plate to shield it from view while the mother convinced the would-be Good Samaritan that there was no problem. Murder of Joseph Augustus Zarelli - Wikipedia

 

[csa29]

This is moving too fast for me to keep up but a couple important things:

1. Many disabilities & medical conditions are not apparent at birth.
2. Being named on a birth certificate and being the genetic parent are two different things. (Even today!)
3. Not at all uncommon for no SSN in early 1950s.
4. Adoptions can be informal.
5. Generic or adoptive parenthood doesn’t mean culpability.
6 Data aggregator sites are often inaccurate. I’m married to my father, who resides in a state I’ve never visited.

yes my dads birth certificate has who they thought was his father but dna has since proved it is not. Could be same issue here?

As far as M, if it runs out to be false, maybe it could be explained by false memories not intentionally malicious. Regardless, i hope she too found her own peace with whatever did or did not happen in her life.

 

[ohyourethatguy]

Ok, so for conjecture, let's go with the aforementioned alleged bio-father as the bio-father who didn't know he fathered a child in 1953...and also go with JAZ has an unknown, unwed at the time, bio-mother, who happened to put the bio-father on the birth certificate (or maybe actually not), but didn't tell bio-dad that she was with child. Was unwed at the time bio-mom (not bio-dad's later wife) the one who kept and raised him? Or do you think she placed him for adoption?

If only they had disclosed that information in the press conference. All parties involved are long gone. Living relatives on any of the possibly 4 sides (bio and adoptive) had no clue of the connection.

The shame and stigma with adoption (both sides, placing and adopting) has got to be absolved from our society at some point. Family secrets and mysteries continue to be hurtful far down the line.

I think the shame is less about adoption, and more about the premarital child. Not to stereotype too much, but the Italian last name plus the part of Philly that LE confirmed makes me pretty sure there's a connection to Catholicism, and it might be the out of wedlock child they don't want to acknowledge.

 

[MeadowMuffin]

Wonder if there was an old family Bible that acknowledged this poor child.

 

[cvaldez1975]

That pic has the whole body showing from looking down from top of head

 

[TootsieFootsie]

CAPTAIN SMITH:

Alright folks at this point in time we open it up to Q&A.

Thanks so much for this.

I had problems understanding at least one of the reporters.

 

[txsleuth70]

According to the article below, his autopsy showed multiple injuries including subdural hematomas which would have been deadly.

What we know and don’t know about Joseph Augustus Zarelli, also known as the Boy in the Box

Joseph Augustus Zarelli has finally been identified. Here's what we know and what we don't about the Boy in the Box case.

www.inquirer.com

It also mentions pleural effusions which doesn’t seem to fit with his traumatic injuries. From what I could find online:

“Pleural effusion can occur if your child has a lung inflammation or bacterial infection. It can also happen if fluid builds up after a surgery. If not treated, pleural effusion can lead to serious breathing problems. That’s why your child needs treatment right away.”

When Your Child Has Pleural Effusion

Pleural effusion occurs when too much fluid builds up in the pleural space. This is the area between the chest wall and lung. Learn more about this condition and how it's treated.

www.saintlukeskc.org

I read somewhere that it looked like he had a chest tube at one time? Could that have been related to a previous lung infection ?

It does sound like he may have had a chronic health condition made worse by neglect and abuse.

Does anyone else remember reading about a scar that looked like the site of a previous chest

I think the shame is less about adoption, and more about the premarital child. Not to stereotype too much, but the Italian last name plus the part of Philly that LE confirmed makes me pretty sure there's a connection to Catholicism, and it might be the out of wedlock child they don't want to acknowledge.

So perhaps not 'shame' keeps adoptive parents from sharing the knowledge with the child and other family members - but something exists that keeps some family with being open about the truth of the child they've adopted! It's less common today - but was super prevalent in the 40/50/60/70's.

My MIL wasn't told she was adopted in 1946 until she was 50 years old. And her older sister was 8 and old enough to know that there wasn't a pregnancy, but she also kept it a secret.

 

[CandyKiss]

M’s story is that she stood in front of the license plate when her mother dumped the body. I don’t know the specifics of who owned that vehicle.

From Wikipedia:

M"'s mother forced "M" to assist her in dumping the boy's body in the Fox Chase area. "M" said that as they were preparing to remove the boy's body from the trunk of a car, a passing male motorist pulled alongside to inquire whether they needed help. "M" was ordered to stand in front of the car's license plate to shield it from view while the mother convinced the would-be Good Samaritan that there was no problem. Murder of Joseph Augustus Zarelli - Wikipedia

Did you also read under Investigation; police academy recruits, who discovered a man's blue corduroy cap, a child's scarf, and a man's white handkerchief with the letter "G" in the corner; all clues that led nowhere. A couple interesting articles found...

 

[txsleuth70]

That pic has the whole body showing from looking down from top of head

yes it does

 

[CandyKiss]

I think the shame is less about adoption, and more about the premarital child. Not to stereotype too much, but the Italian last name plus the part of Philly that LE confirmed makes me pretty sure there's a connection to Catholicism, and it might be the out of wedlock child they don't want to acknowledge.

Oh, I believe if they were Catholic that is exactly what the family thought and promoted. In 1962 my mom's cousin was pregnant, unmarried and Catholic. She was promptly shipped off to a "Boarding School" until the birth.

 

[steff13]

Wonder if there was an old family Bible that acknowledged this poor child.

That's a good thought. My mother was born at home and the doctor didn't make it because of inclement weather and she was never issued a birth certificate because he just forgot to fill out the paperwork. She used a family Bible along with her baptismal records and sworn statement from her aunt who was present as verification of her birth for a really long time.

 

[WildhorseC]

It was in the press conference. A reporter stated that the father's family was denying it, and asked how they confirmed he is the father.

Ok I must have missed that. It was hard to hear the reporters

 

[Myusernamesucks]

I’ve approximated the location (red pin) based on the drawn map that I’ve seen floating around. The House of Good Shepherd was the school for “Wayward Girls” that I’ve seen mentioned before, and is now known as CORA Good Shepherd Mediation. Of course, back then the area was much more wooded and rural.

There's a memorial sign post on the street close to where he was found

 

[WildhorseC]

Who is the boy in the box


A La Salle College junior was tramping through the woods of Northeast Philly’s Fox Chase neighborhood, checking on some rabbit traps — or so he said; more likely, he was trying to sneak a peek into the nearby House of the Good Shepherd home for wayward girls. At the edge of the woods, he noticed a cardboard box with what looked like a doll inside. It spooked him enough that he telephoned police to make sure. Patrolman Elmer Palmer drove through a morning drizzle to the location, a secluded dirt path off of Veree and Susquehanna roads. Locals used the area as a dumping ground, and the place was strewn with garbage and rusting appliances. A large rectangular box lay on its side in a tangle of underbrush. One end was open. A head and small shoulder were sticking out. Palmer knew right away it was no doll.

There were 2 ppl. The one checking the muskrat traps and he supposedly later said it was a doll. He supposedly called after the peeker. The peeker said he was driving along and saw a rabbit and got out to chase it to make sure it was ok. That was his story but they thought it was to peek at the girls