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

[slausonsslaw]

No, they didn't dismiss her just because she was "mentally ill"

If there was actual evidence to corroborate her claims, it wouldn't matter if she was mentally ill or not


She changed her story and made up details that didn't match

<modsnip>

She didn't "change her story" or "[make] up details that didn't match." <modsnip>

 

[MeadowMuffin]

Jinger
I am italian. Ancestry DNA very ably found that my children were my children when I uploaded all of our DNA. I think your response here is nonsensical. I do not see how it would preclude the mother being of Italian American descent. Many members of my italian family have done the DNA on ancestry and 23 and Me. I promise you they are able to determine who we are related to and our ethinicity.
This is nonsense and frankly a bit offensive.

My brother (actually half brother thanks to 23 and me) took the spit test and was told he was Middle Eastern. They realized the error, redid it, and he was found to be half Italian. So there is that...

 

[Mama-dukes]

I was born in PA in 1980. My mom gave me her maiden name (not sure if she had to or wanted to) but my bio father couldn’t put me on his medical insurance with a different last name than his. So when I went to the doctor I was under his last name, and my mom’s everywhere else.

This made doctor’s notes for school super fun lol (and could you imagine this happening today??)

Back in that time the kids took on the moms names

 

[worldwatcher]

This is interesting...

"Experts were eventually able to identify Zarelli using the emerging technique of genetic genealogy, which uses DNA test results and traditional genealogical methods to create family history profiles and determine biological relationships between individuals.

The 2019 results were uploaded to DNA databases and “interpreted” by genealogists working on the case, Smith said. Based on the results, detectives were able to track down possible relatives of Zarelli on his mother’s side. More testing and investigation followed, which led to the identification of Zarelli’s mother.

Through a court order, detectives were then able to obtain from the state the birth, death and adoption records of all the children born to the mother between 1944 and 1956. The order yielded “responsive results:” the birth certificates of two children born to the mother and who were previously known to investigators, one of whom had provided a DNA sample, Smith said. "

" The third result was the birth certificate of a boy born to the mother in 1953. On that birth certificate was the name of the child’s father. Based on research from detectives and genealogists, the detectives contacted possible relatives of the child on his father’s side, Smith said."

BBM & SBM

After 65 Years, Philadelphia Police Identify 'The Boy in the Box'

^Much more detailed about the family search, definitely worth a read! ^

 

[squareandrabbet]

Of course and many bio dads I have found are married men. However, especially in this time period, a birth mom definitely wouldn’t have given her out of wedlock child a paternal family middle name and fathers last name. If he was adopted or kept she probably would have “ made up” a fathers last name, left it blank or used her maiden last name. Just patterns I have noticed in all the cases ive solved.

<modsnip> Of course ancestry dna would tell you that you match your children.. I speak from absolute knowledge of recent immigration from Italy and how the matches reflect on ancestry dna. It’s possible a potential bf was a first generation Italian American, making Joseph only a second. The more recent you are to immigration, the less matches you will have. That is a fact. This can be true for any ethnic background. Cases involving Mexican and Norwegian descent , for example , can also be very difficult. Most people in Italy do not test on ancestry dna let alone upload to ged match. That is why they found the biological father through a document and then tested dna with the child and found the mother through dna matches solely. Again, remember that dna researchers cannot use mainstream ancestry dna and rely on ged match which has way less matches.

I'm no science person; but i thought the methods of evaluating DNA via 23andme had some flaws when it came to generalities...? Like, evaluating for "what breed is your pet'?" Doesn't actually mean you are getting returns of genetic breed markers that yell "DNA of golden retriever"... you are getting returns for physical markers like "short yellow hair"; "long muzzle", etc., which people assemble into a 'most likely guess of the breed'...?

I was under the impression that the DNA process run by Parabon and Offram takes much longer and runs into the thousands of genetic markers.

 

[Buzzaround]

This is interesting...

"Experts were eventually able to identify Zarelli using the emerging technique of genetic genealogy, which uses DNA test results and traditional genealogical methods to create family history profiles and determine biological relationships between individuals.

The 2019 results were uploaded to DNA databases and “interpreted” by genealogists working on the case, Smith said. Based on the results, detectives were able to track down possible relatives of Zarelli on his mother’s side. More testing and investigation followed, which led to the identification of Zarelli’s mother.

Through a court order, detectives were then able to obtain from the state the birth, death and adoption records of all the children born to the mother between 1944 and 1956. The order yielded “responsive results:” the birth certificates of two children born to the mother and who were previously known to investigators, one of whom had provided a DNA sample, Smith said. "

" The third result was the birth certificate of a boy born to the mother in 1953. On that birth certificate was the name of the child’s father. Based on research from detectives and genealogists, the detectives contacted possible relatives of the child on his father’s side, Smith said."

BBM & SBM

After 65 Years, Philadelphia Police Identify 'The Boy in the Box'

^Much more detailed about the family search, definitely worth a read! ^

Whoa. Lots of pertinent information there - specifically the section about "Through a court order, detectives were then able to obtain from the state the birth, death and adoption records of all the children born to the mother between 1944 and 1956."

I'm not saying for certain that Joseph was adopted. But there's now at least some circumstantial evidence that he was.

 

[RaspberryMama]

I agree except i think father did know about him. If not someone signed the bc as the father

This isn't necessarily true. In many states, the birth mother is allowed to put the father's name on the BC even if he's not there. The father wouldn't have had to sign anything.

Because the family is denying it even though the geneologist confirmed that identity was the same name as on the birth ceritficate. If the family was not connected by name they wouldnt say anything.. Ww would never know who it was

Unless the BC is released eventually. Then everyone will know the names of both parents. How strange to let it go until then and wait to dispute it.

There was something in the presser I didn't understand, not being a medical person - the ME said there was evidence that he had some sort of intravenous treatment, was the correct, and what was the significance of that? Would that have had to have happened shortly prior to his death?

If I recall, there was some sort of evidence of a surgery, wasn't there? I wonder if those records still exist.

In babies, if they have to have IVs placed, often they will open up a strip on the back of the lower leg, place the.IV, then stitch it closed around the tube. One of Joseph's scars matched up with this procedure. Meaning, I assume, that at some point in his life he'd received medical care of a somewhat serious nature, but it didn't necessarily have anything to do with his death. Seeing those medical records would be interesting, I agree!

<modsnip - quoted post was removed for no link>


<modsnip: Quoted post was modsnipped due to potential to identify family>

 

[Gameman]

After watching the press conference again, there was an error in my previous post that the father was named on the birth certificate and confirmed through further testing of half siblings. While the correct biological father was named on the birth certificate (with spelling variation), the family of the boy on the father’s side denies there is any proof that this boy is related to them, indicating the living half-siblings did not participate in DNA comparison. Dr Fitzpatrick was able to confirm the father by using DNA from Joseph Augustus’ first cousins to narrow the father down to a brother in that family.
It’s a reasonably assumption that Joseph Zarelli is part of the family with his last name from that exact West Philadelphia neighborhood named, but that’s where it ends because we don’t know if that is maternally or paternally. Given that the grandfather’s name was a version of Augustus, Joseph could have been the child of any one of the sons or daughters of that family and given the middle name to honor the grandfather.

 

[jinger]

My brother (actually half brother thanks to 23 and me) took the spit test and was told he was Middle Eastern. They realized the error, redid it, and he was found to be half Italian. So there is that...

Sounds like his test was mixed up

 

[breachtones]

He had surgical scars on an ankle and groin, and a scar under his chin. I don't know if hospital records were gone through, but one fingerprint investigator, William Kelly, scoured through footprint records and couldn't find his. Begs the question, home birth?

One thing that’s bugging me, a little bit uncomfortable to talk about though; Circumsicion. Where would they have taken him to get that done? To me, that indicated it was a hospital birth.

 

[jinger]

I'm no science person; but i thought the methods of evaluating DNA via 23andme had some flaws when it came to generalities...? Like, evaluating for "what breed is your pet'?" Doesn't actually mean you are getting returns of genetic breed markers that yell "DNA of golden retriever"... you are getting returns for physical markers like "short yellow hair"; "long muzzle", etc., which people assemble into a 'most likely guess of the breed'...?

I was under the impression that the DNA process run by Parabon and Offram takes much longer and runs into the thousands of genetics in markers.

They study dna matches in centimorgans mainly. Ethnicity is fluid and changing and gets more accurate as more people test but always helpful to take into account

 

[Shamrock1]

He had surgical scars on an ankle and groin, and a scar under his chin. I don't know if hospital records were gone through, but one fingerprint investigator, William Kelly, scoured through footprint records and couldn't find his. Begs the question, home birth?

Surgical records are probably gone, unless there was something particularly notable about his case and they were retained for educational purposes. I’m not an expert in 1950s record retention policies though. The extent of my experience is with 1970s-early 1980s adult medical records at Philadelphia hospitals (many gone). Jefferson or the Mutter Museum probably have a librarian familiar with what hospitals were in operation when and what happened to records as hospitals merged/closed. (To be EXTREMELY clear: I’m not suggesting that this child has ANY relation to the Mutter - just mentioning it as a historical institution).

I’d have to dig to find my sources so JMO for now: more than 50% of 1950s births were in hospitals. I think it was closer to 80%, but certainly over 50.

Unlikely given the surname, but circumcision can be performed as a religious rite in a home or at a synagogue.

 

[AgnesTurnip]

Press Release Transcript:

COMMISSIONER OUTLAW:

Today we have some extraordinary news to share with you about one of Philadelphia’s oldest unsolved homicides.

In February of 1957 the body of an unidentified child was discovered inside of a box in a wooded area near Susquehanna Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

The boy appeared to be malnourished and his body bore the signs of recent and past trauma.

In his very short life, it was apparent that this child experienced horrors that no one should ever be subjected to.

When law enforcement cannot prevent a crime from occurring, our mission is to make sure to investigate all leads and gather evidence that will give victims a voice.

The science and technology that was instrumental in the identification of this child, on of our oldest unsolved homicides, gives me hope that we can continue to identify unknown victims of crime and that no one will ever again have to wait this long for their name and the story of their live to be told.

I will now turn this over to Captain Jason Smith, our commanding officer of our homicide unit who will provide details into the investigation.

Without the hard work, dedication, and passion and the doggedness of the many, we would not be here today to give America’s formally Unknown Child, Joseph Augustus Zarelli, a voice.

CAPTAIN SMITH:

Good morning everyone.

Before I provide you with an overview of this investigation, I would like to echo the sentiments of the commissioner. By thanking all those individuals and entities who participated and really put their hearts into this investigation.

On February 26th, 1957, at 10:40am the remains of a white male, estimated to be four to six years of age, were located in a wooded area with dense underbrush along Susquehanna Road between Verree and Pine Roads in the City and County of Philadelphia.

The child had been severely beaten. He was unclothed, had been wrapped in a multi-colored blanket, and placed inside of a cardboard box.

The child had brown hair that was crudely cut close to the scalp and blue eyes.

Multiple bruises were visible on the child’s body. An autopsy revealed that the child had sustained multiple abrasions, contusions, a subdural hemorrhage, and pleural effusions. The autopsy confirmed that the child was between four and six years of age.

The child was subsequently buried in plot number 191 at a potter’s field located at 12898 Dunks Ferry Road in the City of Philadelphia.

The investigation was originally assigned to Detectives Pal and Wretch in 1957 and reassigned to Detective Carruthers in May of 1960.

Hundreds of tips and leads were received both locally and nationally from across the country. These tips were diligently followed up on by investigators, however none would lead them to the positive identification of the child.

On October 30th, 1998, a court order was obtained to have the child’s remains exhumed.

A post-mortem examination was performed, and the child was subsequently reinterred at Ivy Hill Cemetery located in the Cedarbrook section of Philadelphia.

Portions of the remains were retained for future testing. DNA testing was performed at that time, but yielded no new leads in the investigation.

For over six decades the case was continuously investigated by members of the homicide unit who worked in concert with the medical examiner’s office, the forensic science bureau, the Vidocq Society, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and many other local state and federal agencies.

This investigation had come to be referred to as the Boy In The Box and the child who was the subject of this investigation was referred to as “America’s Unknown Child.”

Homicide investigators, along with members of the medical examiner’s office conducted a review, an assessment of investigations involving unidentified victims to determine which of those may benefit from the application of modern forensic techniques.

It was determined that the case of the unknown child OME Number 57-08363 would benefit from the application of such minor forensic techniques.

The portion of the remains that were in the possession of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office were determined to be insufficient in order to obtain the required DNA to apply these modern techniques.

In homicide cases such as this, extreme difficulty lies in the fact that rarely can they be resolved, and the offender ultimately brought to justice, until the victim is first identified.

With that in mind, on April 24th, 2019, an additional court order was obtained to have the child’s remains exhumed once again.

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Washburn examined the remains and was able to obtain the required amount of DNA to apply modern forensic techniques. The child was reinterred, and portions of the remains were retained for future testing.

Contemporary forensic applications and techniques including genealogical DNA testing and inquires were made with the assistance of genetic genealogists. The results of the DNA testing were uploaded through DNA databases and the results were interpreted by the genealogists involved in this investigation.

Based on the interpretation of the results by the genealogists, detectives were able to locate and make contact with possible relatives of the child’s family on the maternal side. Through further investigation and additional testing that the genealogists involved in this investigation were about to establish the identity of the birth mother of the unidentified child.

A court order signed by a court of common pleas judge to obtain the birth records, death records, and adoption records for all children born to the established birth mother between the years 1944 to 1956 from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries Division of Vital Records.

There were three responsive results based on this order. Two of the results were birth certificates for children born to the established birth mother during that time frame who were previously known to investigators. One of who provided DNA and was matched previous by the genealogist.

The third result was a birth certificate for a male child born to the established mother in 1953 which could be consistent with the approximated age of the unidentified child.

The birth father was listed on the birth certificate for the male child born in 1953. Based on research by detectives and the genealogists a male was discovered who could possibly be the birth father of the unidentified child. Detectives were able to locate and make contact with possible relatives of this child’s family on the paternal side. Through additional testing the genealogists were able to establish the birth father of the unidentified child.

A request was sent to the Social Security Administration office of Inspector General to determine if a Social Security Number had ever been issued in the name of the child. The response from the Social Security Administration was that there had not been.

Homicide investigators Bob Hesser and Detective Greg Santa Mala, as well as forensics laboratory manager Ryan Gallagher, met with Dr. Albert Chu of the medical examiner’s office.

Dr. Chu was apprised of the aforementioned facts.

Dr. Chu also consulted with the genetic genealogists involved in this investigation.

Dr. Chu indicated that based on the facts presented and the conclusions of the genetic genealogists, the death certificate for the unknown child, OME Number 57-08363 would be amended to reflect the child’s birth name: Joseph Augustus Zarelli.

Joseph’s date of birth is January 13th, 1953.

Before I turn things over to our Chief Medical Examiner for the City of Philadelphia, Dr. Constance D’Angelo, I would like to address three questions which I believe most of you would like an answer to.

The first is going to be: who are the child’s parents and what are their names?

At this point in time, we are not going to be releasing that information. Joseph has a number of siblings on both the mother and father side who are living, and it is out of respect for them that their parent’s information remains confidential.

The second question is obviously going to be: do we know who is responsible for Joseph’s death?

The answer, at this time, is unfortunately, no. We have our suspicions as to who may be responsible but it would be irresponsible of me to share these suspicions as this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation.

The third question I believe is going to be: are you currently working on any additional unidentified persons cases?

The answer to that question is going to be, yes; we are absolutely are. There is an ongoing effort to apply the technology and techniques used in this investigation to other unknown human remains cases. These investigations involve victims of homicide cases deemed to be suspicious in nation as well as accidental or from natural causes. A team of investigators from the homicide unit, cold case squad, our special victims unit, long-term missing person squad, forensic science bureau, the office of the medical examiner, and the district attorney’s office meet on a weekly basis to review and identify cases that would benefit from the app-- application of these techniques to further their respective investigations.

There are currently more than a dozen cases in progress right now and as leads are developed, they are pursued by investigators, and worked on by other members from the group. I’ll now turn things over to Dr. D’Angelo.

EDIT: This was just the informational portion of the press conference! I'm currently transcribing D'Angelo's comments and the then Q&A. Might take a minute, but I'll post them when they're done.

 

[Megnut]

Possibly we only know his birth name. Easily he may have been re-named. If he was given up for adoption at birth, he may have been adopted at once or adoption may have lagged, especially if he presented with any illness or disease. Short or long term foster, orphanage, formal or informal adoption -- so many possibilities 65 years ago....

His birth parents may have had no idea what happened to Joseph, imagining as one does that he was adopted happily into a nice, safe, healthy home.

At least Law Enforcement has a new, good starting point --

JMO

 

[PetDetective]

Possibly we only know his birth name. If he was given up for adoption at birth, he may have been adopted at once or adoption may have lagged, especially if he presented with any illness or disease. Short or long term foster, orphanage, formal or informal adoption -- so many possibilities 65 years ago....

His birth parents may have had no idea what happened to Joseph, imagining as one does that he was adopted happily into a nice, safe, healthy home.

At least Law Enforcement has a new, good starting point --

JMO

He stated they got a court order for adoption records, he didn’t say they found any that were relevant to JAZ.

 

[IDK]

This is where my mind went with respect to law enforcement mentioning something about "inaccuracies" on Joseph's birth certficiate. I figured it might have to do with the incorrect spelling of a parent's surname.

I was thinking it might reflect the use of a shorted version of the fathers name. For example , Don Smith instead of Donald Smith (using that as an example in order to not use actual name, IYKWIM)

 

[Allabouttrial]

Apologies for any misspelling of names.

LINK TO FULL PRESS CONFERENCE

8TH DECEMBER 2022.

(Commissioner thanks all partners involved with identifying Joseph).

Captain - Good morning, everyone. Before I provide you with an overview of this investigation, I would like to echo the sentiments of the Commissioner, by thanking all those individuals and entities who participated and really put their hearts into this investigation. On February 26, 1957, at 10:40 am., the remains of a white male, estimated to be 4-6 years of age, were located in a wooded area with dense underbrush along Susquehanna Road between Verree and Pine Roads in the city and county of Philadelphia. The child had been severely beaten. He was unclothed, had been wrapped in a multi-colour blanket and placed inside of a cardboard box. The child had brown hair that was crudely cut close to the scalp, and blue eyes. Multiple bruises were visible on the child's body and autopsy revealed that the child had sustained multiple abrasions, contusions, a subdural haemorrhage and plural effusions. The autopsy confirmed that the child was between four and six years of age. The child was subsequently buried in plot number 191 at a Potters Field, located at 12890 Dunks Ferry Road in the city of Philadelphia. The investigation was originally assigned to Detectives Pal and (?) in 1957 and reassigned to Detective Carruthers, in May of 1960. Hundreds of tips and leads were received, both locally and nationally, from around the country. These tips were diligently followed up on by investigators. None, however, would lead them to the positive identification of the child.

On October 30th, 1998, a court order was obtained to have the child's remains exumed. A post mortem examination was performed and the child was subsequently re-interred at Ivy Hill Cemetery, located in the Cedar Brook section of Philadelphia. Portions of the remains were retained for future testing. DNA testing was performed at that time, but yielded no new leads in the investigation. For over 6 decades, the case was continuously investigated by members of the Homicide Unit who worked in concert with the Medical Examiner's Office, the Forensic Science Bureau, the Vidocq Society, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, and many other local, state and federal agencies.

This investigation had come to be referred to as 'The boy in the box', and the child who was the subject of this investigation was referred to as 'America's unknown child'. Homicide investigators, along with members of the Medical Examiners Office, conducted a review and assessment of investigations involving unidentified victims to determine which of those may benefit from the application of modern forensic techniques. It was determined that the case of the unknown child, OME No. 57-0863, would benefit from the application of such modern forensic techniques. The portion of the remains that were in the possession of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office were determined to be insufficient in order to obtain the required DNA to apply these modern techniques. In homicide cases, such as this, extreme difficulty lies in the fact that rarely can they be resolved and the offender ultimately brought to justice until the victim is first identified. With that in mind, on April 24th, 2019, an additional court order was obtained to have the child's remains exhumed, once again. Forensic Anthropologist, Dr. Washburn, examined the remains and was able to obtain the required amount of DNA to apply modern forensic techniques. The child was re-interred and portions of the remains were retained for future testing. Contemporary forensic applications and techniques, including genealogical DNA testing, and enquires were made with the assistance of genetic geneaologists. The results of the DNA testing were uploaded to DNA databases and the results were interpreted by the geneaologists involved in this investigation. Based on the interpretation of the results by the geneologists, detectives were able to locate and make contact with possible relatives of the child's family, on the maternal side. Through further investigation and additional testing, the geneologists involved in this investigation were able to establish the identity of the birth mother of the unidentified child. A court order signed by a Court of Common Pleas Judge to obtain the birth records, death records and adoption records for all children born to the established birth mother between the years 1944-1956 from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau and Health Statistics and Registries Division of Vital Records. There were three responsive results based on this order. Two of the results were birth certificates for children born to the established birth mother, during that time frame, who were previously known to investigators. One of whom provided DNA and was matched, previously, by the geneologist. The third result was a birth certificate for a male child born to the established birth mother in 1953, which could be consistent with the approximated age of the unidentified child. The birth father was listed on the birth certificate for the male child, born in 1953. Based on research by detectives and the geneologists, a male was discovered who could possibly be the birth father of the unidentified child. Detectives were able to locate and make contact with possible relatives of the child's family, on the paternal side. Through additional testing, the geneologists were able to establish the birth father of the unidentified child. A request was sent to the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General to determine if a social security number had ever been issued in the name of the child. The response from the Social Security Administration was that there had not been. Homicide Investigators, Detective Bob Hester and Detective Greg Santamala, as well as Forensics Laboratory Manager, Ryan Gallagher, met with Dr. Albert Chu of the Medical Examiner's Office. Doctor Chu was apprised of the aforementioned facts. Dr. Chu also consulted with the genetic geneologists involved in this investigation. Dr. Chu indicated that based on the facts presented and the conclusions of the genetic geneaologists, the death certificate for the unknown child, OME No. 57-0863, would be amended to reflect the child's birth name, Joseph Augustus Zarelli. Joseph's date of birth is January 13th, 1953.

Before I turn things over to our Chief Medical Examiner for the City of Philadelphia, Dr. Constance D'Angelo, I would like to address 3 questions which I believe most of you would like an answer to. The first is going to be, 'Who are the childs parents and what are their names?' - At this point in time we are not going to be releasing that information. Joseph has a number of siblings on both the mother and father's side who are living and it is out of respect for them that their parent's information remain confidential. The second question is obviously going to be, 'Do we know who was responsible for Josephs death?' - The answer at this time is, unfortunately, no. We have our suspicions as to who may be responsible, but it would be irresponsible of me to share these suspicions as this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation. The third question, I believe, is going to be, 'Are you currently working on any additional unidentified person's cases?' - The answer to that question is going to be yes, we absolutely are. There is an ongoing effort to apply the technology and techniques used in this investigation to other unknown human remains cases. These investigations involve victims of homicide, cases deemed to be suspicious in nature, as well as accidental or from natural causes. A team of investigators from the Homicide Units Cold Case Squad, our Special Victims Unit, Long-term Missing Person's Squad, Forensic Science Bureau, the Office of the Medical Examiner and the District Attorney's Office meet on a weekly basis to review and identify cases that would benefit from the application of these techniques to further their respective investigations. There are currently more than a dozen cases in progress, right now, and as leads are developed they are pursued by investigators and worked on by other members from the group. I'll now turn things over to Dr. D'Angelo.

Dr. D'Angelo - Good morning. I guess I'm the only one who had a powerpoint presentation. The child who was known as 'The boy in the box', he was our case No. 863-1957. Just so you can see, a little review of DNA - DNA was actually discovered way back in the 1800s and by 1953, we knew the structure of DNA but that's as far as DNA technology had progressed. So, in 1957, Dr. Spellman had these other methods of identification available to him to try and pursue who this child was. Visual identification was one of the main forms.. how we identified people, and that remains the case even up to today. Since this was a child they actually did take his footprints and there were attempts to match this child's footprints to some possible leads. So, the footprints that were taken at birth they were actually looked at. Hair comparison - that was also very big in this case. There were hair fibres that were found on the child and then also some of the items that were found with the child or nearby. Unfortunately, it's really just - yes, this could be from the child or this could be from someone else. So, it doesn't really identify who the person is. There's also the ability, if this child had had any sort of X-rays, that the X-rays could be compared. In this child's case, they did use the X-rays to help give an age range for this child because, as it was said, he appeared very malnourished, which would then mean he would look much younger than his actual age.

So, in the 1950s, after this case was discovered, the newspaper clipping on the far right that was actually in the paper, it is a photograph from the time of autopsy, and the particulars relating to this child and again the hope was that someone would come forward.



There were some scars noted on this boy's body and Dr. Spellman believed that this meant that this child had undergone intravenous fluid administration, when he was very young. And, so this information was put out and all of the different hospitals were contacted to see if they would go through their records to see if they could match up anyone. And, then the poster was actually one that was provided by the Inquirer. It was posted all over the city and it was also included in the gas bill that was mailed to Philadelphians.

Two other techniques that were tried, on the far right, a death mask was actually also made for this child and one of the Medical Examiner Investigators actually retained this mask and when he would go follow up on a lead, he would have that mask with him.




The other photo of the boy - this is actually the body of the child. They did dress him, they put him in a pose, so that this might trigger someone to recognise this child, because now he's clothed he looks, sort of, natural and they were really hoping, again, that someone would come forward and identify him.



So, again, they did take his footprints. They did try and match to several leads that they had, but it was not a match.



They had the police cadets and other police go to all the orphanages and foster homes to make sure that all of the children in those facilities were accounted for. The last clipping is about a handkerchief, which seems to possibly be a red herring, but at the bottom you'll notice that, at that time, people were actually allowed to come into the Medical Examiner's Office and visually look at the deceased body. And, there were a number of people who did come forward to look at the child and then either investigators from the ME's Office or from the Police Department actually followed up on those leads. And, those children who are suspected of being this child were found alive.

So, over the years then, we did have advances in DNA and by 1992 it had progressed to the point where there were commercialised kits to do the DNA fingerprinting and so that led to the decision to exhume the body again in 1998 to try and get additional material for DNA testing. The case was also uploaded into NCMEC in 2014 and, again, in attempts that someone, not in this part of the country, would recognise this child and come forward. And, then finally in 2019 the body was again exhumed to obtain additional samples for DNA, which after many years was actually successful. Thank you.

Unit Manager for the Criminalistics Unit - Good morning, everyone. My name is Ryan Gallagher, I'm the Unit Manager for the Criminalistics Unit with the Philadelphia Police Department Office of Forensic Science. The Criminalistics Unit is responsible for all forensic DNA related casework in the Philadelphia Police Department and the City of Philadelphia. Unit maintains a state-of-the-art DNA laboratory, performing traditional forensic DNA analysis, modern rapid DNA technology and coordinate all other DNA testing for the City and Police Department. Throughout this investigation, the Office of Forensic Science has performed or consulted on much of the forensic work that's been performed in this case. Several attempts, using forensic DNA technology to identify the boy, have been made over the past 20 years. Specifically, the boys DNA profile was entered into CODIS and searched continuously for matches to immediate biological relatives. CODIS is the acronym for the combined DNA index system, which is managed by the FBI and is the national DNA database. This database is used to search crime scene samples and compare to DNA reference samples to solve criminal investigations. A portion of CODIS is maintained for DNA samples from unidentified remains and those DNA profiles are compared to DNA samples from family members of missing persons. There were no matches in CODIS in this case. With typical DNA processing, our scientists in the lab examine 24 areas along your DNA to develop a profile. With advancements in DNA technology, it is possible to examine thousands of areas along your DNA. For standard forensic DNA analysis that we do everyday, this expanded testing is not necessary. However, the analysis of this additional DNA has created a new capability for investigating cases by revealing potential familial relationships. This growing field is often called forensic genetic genealogy or investigative genealogy. In a few moments you'll hear from Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick of Identifinders International - the company that worked tirelessly on this investigation with the Police Department and the Office of the Medical Examiner. We'd also like to thank several other forensic laboratories that have helped and provided analysis over the years, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

While today's event centres on the identification of this child, it's equally important that we mention larger efforts to bring closure to other families in our city. The Office of Forensic Science has implemented a forensic genetic genealogy programme to assist their Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office and the Philidelphia Police Department, with investigations involving the identification of unidentified human remains or unknown suspects in criminal cases. Due to limitations with the technology, not every case is going to benefit from this. However, the Police Department continues to evaluate all applicable cases and determine eligibility. In cooperation with the Homicide Unit, the Special Victims Unit, the Philadelphia Office of the Medical Examiner, the forensic genealogy programme has initiated testing in dozens of cases. These cases range in years from 1957-2022. The programme emphasises a collaborative effort between Forensic Scientists and Detectives to uncover and follow up on investigative leads. Joseph Augustus Zarelli represents the first identification of human remains using forensic geneology as a result of this collaboration. While this is the first, it will definitely not be the last identification that is made. Our goal for the project is that there will never be another unidentified homicide victim in the City of Philadelphia. We have established a process for all new unidentified remains and are working through the records of all previous homicides to identify cases which may be included in this programme. In reality, we may not obtain the lofty goal of 100% identification, for a variety of reasons, however, the identification of 'America's unknown child' strengthens our resolve. The victims of a homicide and their families deserve no less.

Identifinders International - My name is Colleen Fitzpatrick, I'm President of Identifinders International. I want to say this was the most challenging case of my whole career. It took 2 1/2 years to get the DNA in shape, it was so bad, to get to the point where we could create SNP data that we could use for genealogy. Our success was a corroboration among experts from several countries. This was an international programme. And, the good news is that the technology that we pushed forward is giving hope to other unidentified whose DNA is thought to be beyond the modern horizon of technology. Maybe it isn't, after all. There's so many people I'd like to thank. I'd like to thank, first, Detective Bob Hauser, who was just so patient and did so much investigative work on that side of the forensic genealogy. I would like to thank the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office for all the resources that they've devoted over the decades to this case. I'd like to thank the National Centre for Missing Exploited Children and the Vidocq Society for keeping the case alive for so many years. The International Commission for Missing Persons in The Hague for their guidance, their expertise and the networking they did to send us in the direction of the experts who made this happen with us. Those experts, some of them wish to remain anonymous and I will honour that, but they know who they are and they're probably watching right now, so, thank you. I want to thank Audiohuck for a grant funding that covered some of our critical expenses. And last, but not least, I want to thank Mr. Giles, top notch Forensic Genetic Geneologist, one of the best you will ever meet, who hung in there for 2 1/2 years with me as we fought that uphill battle on the DNA front and when that data came in she worked night and day to get that boy his identity back. Because, after all, what can we hope for in life and death - but to be buried under a stone carrying our own name. So, thank you everyone for your assistance over these years. We appreciate it.

Vidocq Society, Bill Fleisher - Good morning everyone. Since February 1957, hundreds of investigators have worked to put their hearts and souls in solving the mystery of our little boy's identity and the circumstances of his death. Many of these men and women aren't with us anymore, but I feel their souls are standing here, at this moment, with us. Now, our lad is no longer that 'Boy in the box'. He has a name and I was raised to believe that when you say the name out loud of a loved one, that person still lives in spirit amongst us. Soon, through the good officers of Mr. Dave Drysdale and his team at the Ivy Hill Cemetery, the Vidocq Society will put a name on that child's grave. Joseph Augustus Zarelli, will no longer be that 'Boy in the box' and will no longer be unknown. On behalf of the Vidocq Society I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Department, Police Commissioner, the Homicide Detectives throughout the years, the Medical Examiner's Office Investigators, Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, Mr. Giles, The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and all the people of the media, and the public who have, throughout the years, have tirelessly kept this story alive and contributed greatly to putting the name on his gravestone. God bless you all for keeping the faith. Thank you.

Captain - At this point time we will open it up to Q&A.

Reporter - The death certificate officially says 'unknown' for the manner of death. How and when did you guys determine that it was, indeed, a homicide?.

Captain - That was determined early on in the investigation.

Reporter - Right, so why was the death certificate not changed?. When was that determined, because the death certificate says unknown still?.

Captain - I can't answer that question.

Reporter - Okay, but it is in fact - He was killed?. It was a homicide?.

Captain - Yeah, that's correct.

Reporter - Can you tell us a little bit more about that part of the case of what you know about how he was killed, or.. ?

Captain - Well, I described the injuries, he had abrasions, he had contusions. So, he basically had blunt force trauma. From what I understand he was also emaciated. I'm going to say blunt force trauma was more than likely the cause of death.

Reporter - With an investigation that now has a name. What changes behind the scenes?. What does this give your detectives?. Where do you go from here?.

Captain - Alright, so the job is.. it's over 65 years old now. So, that's definitely.. it's going to be an uphill battle for us to definitively determine who caused this child's death. If this technology had been available to us,20 years ago it might have been a completely different story, because once you identify who the child is and that's when you start beginning with family members. Well, at this point in time a lot of the family members who would have been old enough to have a memory of any incident that might have occurred are normally long gone.

Reporter - So, are you saying there's a possibility that you may never make an arrest, who's responsible for the homicide of Joseph Augustus Zarelli?.

Captain - That's correct. We may not make an arrest. We may never make an identification, but we're going to do our darndest to try.

Reporter - When you talked to the relatives, did you ask them and did they answer, why nobody came forward in 1957 saying 'hey, I think that that's Joseph'?.

Captain - That's going to be part of the investigation and, again, I will go to, probably time and time again, it's an ongoing and active investigation.

Reporter - Did you ask them that, did they answer?.

Captain - I'm not going to comment on that, Sir.

Reporter - What was the reaction from the family when detectives came forward with this information?.

Captain - Not going to comment on that either.

Reporter - Where was he from?.

Captain - Where was the child from...?.

Reporter - Yeah, the family?.

Captain - What section of the city?. West Philadelphia, we believe.

Reporter - Was he ever reported as a missing child?.

Captain - No.

Reporter - Never?.

Captain - No, never, Sir.

Reporter - Are either parents still alive, or are both parent's deceased?.

Captain - Both parent's are deceased.

Reporter - Do you think that someone from in his family killed him?.

Captain - I can't comment, Sir, ongoing active investigation.

Reporter - You mentioned the other victims you have at Potters Field, at least one that we know about, I think there are some others scattered around. Can you talk about the efforts to name and identify, and maybe the city's efforts to maybe gain grant money to try to use this technology in identifying other people who are just unidentifed and have no name, whether they're homicide victims or not?.

Captain - I can't speak to grant money, that's out of my wheelhouse, but there are efforts as I've described.

Captain of the Special Victims Unit - Good afternoon, my name's Captain James Kierney. I represent the Special Victims Unit. I'm the Captain there, the Commanding Officer. At Special Victims, we are responsible for approximately 80 long-term missing person cases and we are dealing, on a weekly basis, with forensics and other entities, both locally, state and federal, to help, aggressively, identify the long-term missing persons and unidentified remains. We have been at that Potters Field. I don't want to go into specifics, but we will do everything we can to make sure that the cases we can bring forward, we can give those people a voice and to find out what happened to them and why they're there. Like I said, there are many. We have decentralised the Missing Person Unit in the department, so some of the missing person cases are back into the detective divisions, into the neighbourhoods where they went missing from. But, we are, weekly, like I said, we sit down and collaborate with all the entities on stage here and not, but we deal with NAMUS, NCMEC, and we're getting there. We're getting there. It's an exciting time. It's an exciting time in investigations. It's an exciting time for my investigators to have this technology, to have people like Ryan Gallagher and the Director of Forensics with us, on board, to do exactly that.

Reporter - Can you just talk about what it's like to take something like a DNA profile of maybe 1 of those 80 cases (inaudible) DNA from and try and build out what that family tree. It kind of goes in different lengths of time, correct?.

Dr. D'Angelo - We've solved cases in two hours and we've solved cases in three years and we've solved cases that are still on the table. I mean, we're working on cases that are still on the table after three years. This is a brand new technology as of 2017-18. So, the oldest cases you're going to find are three or four years right now, that haven't been solved. But, as the databases grow and our tools develop and we go forward with the technology, there's going to be a lot more and it's going to go a lot more quickly. This is a brand new technology and you gotta give us time to move forward with it. Every case we solve, we learn something from, that pays forward to the next one. So, we look forward to a lot more success stories.

Reporter - How long has this boy lived in West Philadelphia and his family?.

Captain - The child had just turned 4 years old.

Reporter - His family have roots there, or did they just move there or...?.

Captain - I can't say with any degree of specificity how long he was there.

Reporter - What I'm trying to say - None of the neighbours noticed him missing and seeing all TV coverage the newspapers - Nobody put two and two together that this child was no longer here?.

Captain - Sir, we just discovered who the child was.

Reporter - Right, but they had the picture. You have a picture, you're looking to see who the child is.

Captain - I can't answer that question. I don't know what the neighbours knew or didn't know?.

Reporter - Was there anything else with the investigation, the evidence that was collected, that rang a bell for investigators when they went back. You talked about that J.C. Penney box, that green blanket - Was there any other piece of evidence that was collected so long ago, 65 years ago, other than that DNA that started to make sense once you got that family picture?.

Captain - Yeah. There are a couple of pieces of evidence in our custody. One of which we're doing an examination for a possible DNA. It was an article of clothing that was left at the crime scene. But, you know, like I said, the evidence between then and now - it's diminished, just like the child's DNA degraded and became very, very difficult to extract a strain of DNA that was viable.

Reporter - (inaudible) birth certificate, there was a birth father named. Is that who ended up being the person that you guys are saying is the father?, and, What kind of physical proof is there for the father to be connected to this child?.

Captain - What kind of proof?. That was done through genetic testing.

Reporter - We're hearing that the family's saying, Dad's side, that there's no physical proof connecting him to this child.

Captain - Well, that's not true.

Reporter - Okay, so can you just elaborate on what the proof is?. Is it the person on the birth certificate, or was there further testing done with DNA?.

Captain - Okay, so it is going to be the person that's on the birth certificate. The name on the birth certificate is not exact. It's not exact, alright?. I'm going to leave it at that, but it is the birth father.

Reporter - How do you know though?. If you could just give us a little more detail?.

Dr. D'Angelo - It's the geneological connections. When we look at the data we see what we call matches, our DNA cousins, and we networked them and they were cousins on both sides of the family that can only funnel to that one individual. Can only be connected to that one guy. And, so that's how we identified the parents, the family and so on. There is all of that in place.

Reporter - If you could talk a little bit about where the investigation goes from here?. Are you adding more people?. Is there going to be a re-interview of all the family members?. Could you talk about how there's a possibility that the killer might be dead or, since this happened so long ago, the key people that you would've wanted to talk to might not even be alive anymore.

Captain - So, one of the things that I'm hoping comes out of this press conference - Is that we receive an avalanche of tips from the public. We're going to filter through each and every one of those tips but in that avalanche there might be a diamond in the rough. I'm hopeful that there's somebody who was in their mid to late 70s, possibly 80s, who remembers that child. The child did live a little past the age of four years old. So, there would have been somebody out there that would have seen this child. Perhaps another family member that hasn't stepped forward. Possibly a neighbour, a neighbour who remembers seeing that child, remembers whatever occurring at that particular household. That's what I'm hoping comes out of this. Of course, we're going to be revisiting the family members. The assigned investigator... we just had a member down at the homicide unit. This remains an active investigation. We're going to continue to work this.

Reporter - Are surviving family members still in the area?. Other than charges related to the actual homicide, are there other charges possibly in play?.

Captain - I'm not going to comment about where the family members live, whether they're in California, Delaware or in this immediate vicinity. I'm just not going to comment on that. And, as far as other charges - What other charges would you be alluding to?.

Reporter - Asking about possible obstruction, other related counts that may have concealed the actual crime?.

Captain - I'm not going to comment on that.

Reporter - How many siblings did the child have?. Were they older or younger?.

Captain - There were siblings on both sides. An exact number, their ages, whether they were male or female, we're not going to comment at this time.

Reporter - Is there any evidence or a theory (inaudible)?.

Captain - I mean, the theory would be common sense, was far away from their house, at that point in time, that area of Fox Chase was pretty rural.

Reporter - Are we talking West Philadelphia? (inaudible) Park Brook. Is there a specific neighbourhood in West Philadephia?.

Captain - I can narrow it down - 61st in Market Street.

Reporter - Is it accurate to describe this as the longest investigative homicide in the department's history?.

Captain - It's the longest that I'm aware of in Philadelphia, yes.

Reporter - While the technology that was used to get to this point in this investigation is (inaudible) all that attention that has been brought to bear on this long ago homicide, when we have homicides every day in this city and most of them aren't solved. What would you say to the people who say 'you can't even solve cases that happened last week...'?

Commissioner - We can solve halve of the cases in this city, and we have. Because we announced something historic today does not take away from the arduous work of our detectives and surrounding partners, here in this city. I can understand why people may feel that way, but this case was a big deal. I mean, this case out lives a lot of people that are standing here today in our current profession. So, I don't want to take away from the use of technology that's never been used before in previous cases, that we're hoping to use in a lot of our cases moving forward. There are still many other unsolved cases and, as you heard here, we believe this will be the first of many. So, I would ask that everyone not lose hope, but recognise that this is something breaking for us and that we're hoping to use it moving forward so that we can continue to improve, not only how we provide service, but to improve the qualities of our investigations.

Reporter - How do we make what happened her today part of some (inaudible). Can we adopt a strategic approach to the unsolved murders?.

Captain - As I mentioned, this technology can be used for many cases. We continually evaluate in those weekly meetings that was talked about - what cases would benefit from these. So, whether it's on unidentified remains or whether it's trying to determine who a suspect might be in a criminal case, but it can be applied for all the cases depending on their eligibility.

Thank you so much everyone.

 

[Allabouttrial]

Press Release Transcript:

COMMISSIONER OUTLAW:

Today we have some extraordinary news to share with you about one of Philadelphia’s oldest unsolved homicides.

In February of 1957 the body of an unidentified child was discovered inside of a box in a wooded area near Susquehanna Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

The boy appeared to be malnourished and his body bore the signs of recent and past trauma.

In his very short life, it was apparent that this child experienced horrors that no one should ever be subjected to.

When law enforcement cannot prevent a crime from occurring, our mission is to make sure to investigate all leads and gather evidence that will give victims a voice.

The science and technology that was instrumental in the identification of this child, on of our oldest unsolved homicides, gives me hope that we can continue to identify unknown victims of crime and that no one will ever again have to wait this long for their name and the story of their live to be told.

I will now turn this over to Captain Jason Smith, our commanding officer of our homicide unit who will provide details into the investigation.

Without the hard work, dedication, and passion and the doggedness of the many, we would not be here today to give America’s formally Unknown Child, Joseph Augustus Zarelli, a voice.

CAPTAIN SMITH:

Good morning everyone.

Before I provide you with an overview of this investigation, I would like to echo the sentiments of the commissioner. By thanking all those individuals and entities who participated and really put their hearts into this investigation.

On February 26th, 1957, at 10:40am the remains of a white male, estimated to be four to six years of age, were located in a wooded area with dense underbrush along Susquehanna Road between Verree and Pine Roads in the City and County of Philadelphia.

The child had been severely beaten. He was unclothed, had been wrapped in a multi-colored blanket, and placed inside of a cardboard box.

The child had brown hair that was crudely cut close to the scalp and blue eyes.

Multiple bruises were visible on the child’s body. An autopsy revealed that the child had sustained multiple abrasions, contusions, a subdural hemorrhage, and pleural effusions. The autopsy confirmed that the child was between four and six years of age.

The child was subsequently buried in plot number 191 at a potter’s field located at 12898 Dunks Ferry Road in the City of Philadelphia.

The investigation was originally assigned to Detectives Pal and Wretch in 1957 and reassigned to Detective Carruthers in May of 1960.

Hundreds of tips and leads were received both locally and nationally from across the country. These tips were diligently followed up on by investigators, however none would lead them to the positive identification of the child.

On October 30th, 1998, a court order was obtained to have the child’s remains exhumed.

A post-mortem examination was performed, and the child was subsequently reinterred at Ivy Hill Cemetery located in the Cedarbrook section of Philadelphia.

Portions of the remains were retained for future testing. DNA testing was performed at that time, but yielded no new leads in the investigation.

For over six decades the case was continuously investigated by members of the homicide unit who worked in concert with the medical examiner’s office, the forensic science bureau, the Vidocq Society, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and many other local state and federal agencies.

This investigation had come to be referred to as the Boy In The Box and the child who was the subject of this investigation was referred to as “America’s Unknown Child.”

Homicide investigators, along with members of the medical examiner’s office conducted a review, an assessment of investigations involving unidentified victims to determine which of those may benefit from the application of modern forensic techniques.

It was determined that the case of the unknown child OME Number 57-08363 would benefit from the application of such minor forensic techniques.

The portion of the remains that were in the possession of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office were determined to be insufficient in order to obtain the required DNA to apply these modern techniques.

In homicide cases such as this, extreme difficulty lies in the fact that rarely can they be resolved, and the offender ultimately brought to justice, until the victim is first identified.

With that in mind, on April 24th, 2019, an additional court order was obtained to have the child’s remains exhumed once again.

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Washburn examined the remains and was able to obtain the required amount of DNA to apply modern forensic techniques. The child was reinterred, and portions of the remains were retained for future testing.

Contemporary forensic applications and techniques including genealogical DNA testing and inquires were made with the assistance of genetic genealogists. The results of the DNA testing were uploaded through DNA databases and the results were interpreted by the genealogists involved in this investigation.

Based on the interpretation of the results by the genealogists, detectives were able to locate and make contact with possible relatives of the child’s family on the maternal side. Through further investigation and additional testing that the genealogists involved in this investigation were about to establish the identity of the birth mother of the unidentified child.

A court order signed by a court of common pleas judge to obtain the birth records, death records, and adoption records for all children born to the established birth mother between the years 1944 to 1956 from the Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Health Statistics and Registries Division of Vital Records.

There were three responsive results based on this order. Two of the results were birth certificates for children born to the established birth mother during that time frame who were previously known to investigators. One of who provided DNA and was matched previous by the genealogist.

The third result was a birth certificate for a male child born to the established mother in 1953 which could be consistent with the approximated age of the unidentified child.

The birth father was listed on the birth certificate for the male child born in 1953. Based on research by detectives and the genealogists a male was discovered who could possibly be the birth father of the unidentified child. Detectives were able to locate and make contact with possible relatives of this child’s family on the paternal side. Through additional testing the genealogists were able to establish the birth father of the unidentified child.

A request was sent to the Social Security Administration office of Inspector General to determine if a Social Security Number had ever been issued in the name of the child. The response from the Social Security Administration was that there had not been.

Homicide investigators Bob Hesser and Detective Greg Santa Mala, as well as forensics laboratory manager Ryan Gallagher, met with Dr. Albert Chu of the medical examiner’s office.

Dr. Chu was apprised of the aforementioned facts.

Dr. Chu also consulted with the genetic genealogists involved in this investigation.

Dr. Chu indicated that based on the facts presented and the conclusions of the genetic genealogists, the death certificate for the unknown child, OME Number 57-08363 would be amended to reflect the child’s birth name: Joseph Augustus Zarelli.

Joseph’s date of birth is January 13th, 1953.

Before I turn things over to our Chief Medical Examiner for the City of Philadelphia, Dr. Constance D’Angelo, I would like to address three questions which I believe most of you would like an answer to.

The first is going to be: who are the child’s parents and what are their names?

At this point in time, we are not going to be releasing that information. Joseph has a number of siblings on both the mother and father side who are living, and it is out of respect for them that their parent’s information remains confidential.

The second question is obviously going to be: do we know who is responsible for Joseph’s death?

The answer, at this time, is unfortunately, no. We have our suspicions as to who may be responsible but it would be irresponsible of me to share these suspicions as this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation.

The third question I believe is going to be: are you currently working on any additional unidentified persons cases?

The answer to that question is going to be, yes; we are absolutely are. There is an ongoing effort to apply the technology and techniques used in this investigation to other unknown human remains cases. These investigations involve victims of homicide cases deemed to be suspicious in nation as well as accidental or from natural causes. A team of investigators from the homicide unit, cold case squad, our special victims unit, long-term missing person squad, forensic science bureau, the office of the medical examiner, and the district attorney’s office meet on a weekly basis to review and identify cases that would benefit from the app-- application of these techniques to further their respective investigations.

There are currently more than a dozen cases in progress right now and as leads are developed, they are pursued by investigators, and worked on by other members from the group. I’ll now turn things over to Dr. D’Angelo.

EDIT: This was just the informational portion of the press conference! I'm currently transcribing D'Angelo's comments and the then Q&A. Might take a minute, but I'll post them when they're done.

Oooops so sorry didn't see this. Have just posted the full transcript!

 

[iamshadow21]

Sleep well, Joseph. I look forward to the day your name is on your headstone.

Know that even though in your short life you endured hatred and pain, in death you are surrounded by love. We all wanted a resolution for you. This may be the most we get, and I'm okay with that. It's been a very long time. You've been asleep for so long. I'm glad the world now knows your name.

 

[kukukajoo]

I really don't know why everybody keeps focusing so closely on the male Zarellis as potential fathers. If a child is born in 1953 to parents who are not married, it is very likely that his birth certificate will name the father but his surname will be the same as his mother.

I actually logged in just to post this very thing. It’s very likely little Joseph had his mom’s last name.

Also before the presser, they said he came from a prominent family and nothing I’ve found on Zarelli seems to suggest anything I’d call prominent in Delaware county.

Perhaps the father’s family was the very prominent one and everyone is assuming wrongly the who the dad is. Lost more to this story will come out in time.

Ps I think the press questions were pretty lame, there’s so much more that could have been asked to give us a bit more answers. Was the Martha right? Was he in foster or adopted? Etc…