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

[PureAmateur]

Seems like osteogenesis could explain eye, bruising & surgery. What if he was used as a test subject for unethical experiments?

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

This UID thread was established many years ago with a goal of identifying this sweet child who we now know as Joseph.

LE has not officially named a POI/suspect responsible for Joseph's death and has indicated they do not wish the identities of the family to be known ... therefore no public sleuthing of Joseph's family or any other 'innocent' person is allowed. Members doing so are in violation of one of our most basic Terms of Service on which Websleuths was founded.

Websleuths long-standing Terms of Service stipulate that the only individuals who can be publicly sleuthed are a victim and an officially named POI/suspect. There are no officially named POIs or officially named suspects. This is not difficult to understand.

When members violate TOS and simply thumb their noses at Mods, Admins, and Websleuths owner Tricia, we are left with few options.

We truly don't like taking drastic measures, but going forward:

Members who continue sleuthing to try to determine who Joseph's family members are, and posting their names, initials, or other findings in this public thread, will be permanently banned from the discussion. If it continues to be a moderation nightmare as it has been, we will close all general discussion and go with a Media only *NO DISCUSSION* thread.

Members can sleuth privately with others as much as they wish. In "Conversations" you can add up to 20 other members to your private message thread. Just don't bring your findings to the public discussion.

If for some reason the above is not clear, do not derail the thread with questions. Contact a Mod or Admin and we will try to clarify.

 

[bettyboop]

Seems like osteogenesis could explain eye, bruising & surgery. What if he was used as a test subject for unethical experiments?

@PureAmateur , as wacky as it may seem, I was thinking along the same lines. I mean, you never know. JMO MOO

 

[txsleuth70]

I feel I have not heard much discussion on the actual naming of this child.



"Joseph Augustus".
Definitely strong names in the Zarelli family at the time.

IF the father of this boy KNEW of the birth, why would he ACCEPT/honor this naming since the child might have been born out of wedlock?

IF the father of this boy did NOT know of the birth of this child, WHY would the unwed mother even attempt to name this child with the father's identity?

But, IF it is the mother, who was the Zarelli, might she not name the child after her father and perhaps her uncle (mother's brother)??

I do think this actual name that has been presented does hold clues.

The answer lies in the article that was posted that included the 1st cousin once removed. His mother was JAZ's cousin. It clearly states the mother's UNCLE was a Z. His grandmother's BROTHER was a Z.

The article has been posted and exists here several times. The child of a first cousin is a first cousin once removed to the person (JAZ) on the PATERNAL side. The maternal side is unknown.

Only relaying this to show the paternal lineage not to identify anyone BTW.

 

[txsleuth70]

If you go a ways back on this thread, a day or so, you'll see a bunch of anecdotal comments about people's own experiences of this, of their own certificates or of family members. There was no firm universal standard. Some folks have no father listed, some have a father listed but the child is given the mother's name, some had father listed and father's name. Some didn't have to provide proof, just gave father's name and it was written down, others had to have the father there, with ID and giving a signature before they'd list him as parent.

Prior marriage possible but no documentation for one exists. Likely unknown to the birth father who has not been identified by LE, nor verified by any accounts. Mother not indentified by LE, nor mentioned in any accounts. MOO

 

[txsleuth70]

Seems like osteogenesis could explain eye, bruising & surgery. What if he was used as a test subject for unethical experiments?

His skeleton did not indicate IO. Google what a child with OI looks like on x-Ray, it may surprise you.

 

[Sillybilly]

Seems like osteogenesis could explain eye, bruising & surgery. What if he was used as a test subject for unethical experiments?

Thinking of unethical experiments and reading about the blue dye, I can't help but think of Mengele's medical experiments with methylene blue in attempts to change eye color.

 

[steff13]

Seems like osteogenesis could explain eye, bruising & surgery. What if he was used as a test subject for unethical experiments?

Wouldn't he have had broken bones if he had OI? Particularly in light of the beating that he was subjected to?

 

[RaspberryMama]

I've been reading today about a different case that has similarities to this one. I won't go into the details of that case, but I wanted to mention one thing as a possibility. In the 50's and 60's the Philadelphia Department of Human Services had a contract agency, called the Philadelphia Society to Protect Children, now known as Turning Points for Children. They were the folks that would remove children from unsafe situations and place them in foster homes. Unfortunately, some of the foster homes weren't much better (although many were wonderful, I'm sure) and children suffered continued abuse. At least 2 children died in the 60's under the care of one foster mother. MOO only because I don't have MSM links yet.

I wonder if this agency would have it's own records of who went to what home and why. And it might explain Joseph being with family for a while, yet ending up somewhere else.

I know this isn't a new idea, and surely foster records were searched early in the investigation, but could the agency have records themselves that the state (or county?) didn't have?

Moo

 

[Friday Fan]

I've been reading today about a different case that has similarities to this one. I won't go into the details of that case, but I wanted to mention one thing as a possibility. In the 50's and 60's the Philadelphia Department of Human Services had a contract agency, called the Philadelphia Society to Protect Children, now known as Turning Points for Children. They were the folks that would remove children from unsafe situations and place them in foster homes. Unfortunately, some of the foster homes weren't much better (although many were wonderful, I'm sure) and children suffered continued abuse. At least 2 children died in the 60's under the care of one foster mother. MOO only because I don't have MSM links yet.

I wonder if this agency would have it's own records of who went to what home and why. And it might explain Joseph being with family for a while, yet ending up somewhere else.

I know this isn't a new idea, and surely foster records were searched early in the investigation, but could the agency have records themselves that the state (or county?) didn't have?

Moo

Generally government placement will have records, but I don't know how long they would keep the records.

I remember they searched a jail in DuPage County Jail in IL for records, but it turns out they didn't keep them for very long. (Doe was found in 1977 and they were sleuthing about 10 years ago and hit a dead end)

However, it certainly is worth pursuing. I didn't read anything about them searching foster homes in the Boy in the Box website. (I thought it was odd that I didn't read about about it)
It seems like the investigation focused on known missing children cases etc.

 

[MissUnderstood]

Just throwing this out there…… couldn’t the Zarelli name potentially be on both maternal and paternal sides!

 

[Friday Fan]

Just throwing this out there…… couldn’t the Zarelli name potentially be on both maternal and paternal sides!

Anything is possible. I have a friend whose parents have the same name. They're not related. It's not a common name either.

 

[Cattydcat]

Rest in peace, little Joseph. It’s too late for justice to be done I feel but when the truth emerges about the monsters who did what they did to you emerges, it is one step nearer.

I confess I am slightly baffled by the speculations and confusions on these threads as a certain amount of reading between the lines is needed but if you think logically, surely enough things have been revealed for us to know the following:

1) JAZ had siblings from mother and fathers side. Therefore - half siblings. Implies no marriage to each other of parents and no records specified.

2) the article referencing JT’s DNA heavily implied a Z uncle and Z brothers etc. Clearly, they are leading you to draw conclusion that the Z link is male paternal, not maternal. So, assumption that father was a Z.

3) Inexact name of father on birth certificate - main Z named as a name that would frequently be shortened and likely to be that (a Bob/Robert scenario).

4) mother is unknown publicly but known to have had 3 children between 1944 and 1954. No mention of Z name appearing on other certificates so only one child was a Z.

5) DNA proved birth certificate was correct. Some Z’s are denying reality of test. Assumption - this was a secret within family only known to certain parties and Z family probably had no part in JAZ’s future short life.

6) LE made much about birth family. I think they are clearly trying to say that the Z family was not involved after birth. I think it remains open as to if child was informally adopted or raise by birth mother and stepfather.

7) no mention of if the other birth children identified of mother (and appearing to be with us still) was raised by her - and therefore possibly knowledge of JAZ) or if they were adopted out. I suspect that may be key to finding what happened to JAZ.

Personally, I do not find it unlikely that an unmarried person of a prominent, possibly religious? family in the 1950s kept the birth of a child secret from his future children or wife. Maybe a frowned up on relationship with someone family deemed unsuitable etc? Probably lost in the mists of time. I think it’s actually more likely that that would happen, rather than it all be public knowledge. I imagine this has all be distressing for all of the families involved.

I believe LE will know if the birth mother raised JAZ or her other children. From that, I think it may be possible for them to uncover the likely culprits.

 

[coco]

Rest in peace, little Joseph. It’s too late for justice to be done I feel but when the truth emerges about the monsters who did what they did to you emerges, it is one step nearer.

I confess I am slightly baffled by the speculations and confusions on these threads as a certain amount of reading between the lines is needed but if you think logically, surely enough things have been revealed for us to know the following:

1) JAZ had siblings from mother and fathers side. Therefore - half siblings. Implies no marriage to each other of parents and no records specified.

2) the article referencing JT’s DNA heavily implied a Z uncle and Z brothers etc. Clearly, they are leading you to draw conclusion that the Z link is male paternal, not maternal. So, assumption that father was a Z.

3) Inexact name of father on birth certificate - main Z named as a name that would frequently be shortened and likely to be that (a Bob/Robert scenario).

4) mother is unknown publicly but known to have had 3 children between 1944 and 1954. No mention of Z name appearing on other certificates so only one child was a Z.

5) DNA proved birth certificate was correct. Some Z’s are denying reality of test. Assumption - this was a secret within family only known to certain parties and Z family probably had no part in JAZ’s future short life.

6) LE made much about birth family. I think they are clearly trying to say that the Z family was not involved after birth. I think it remains open as to if child was informally adopted or raise by birth mother and stepfather.

7) no mention of if the other birth children identified of mother (and appearing to be with us still) was raised by her - and therefore possibly knowledge of JAZ) or if they were adopted out. I suspect that may be key to finding what happened to JAZ.

Personally, I do not find it unlikely that an unmarried person of a prominent, possibly religious? family in the 1950s kept the birth of a child secret from his future children or wife. Maybe a frowned up on relationship with someone family deemed unsuitable etc? Probably lost in the mists of time. I think it’s actually more likely that that would happen, rather than it all be public knowledge. I imagine this has all be distressing for all of the families involved.

I believe LE will know if the birth mother raised JAZ or her other children. From that, I think it may be possible for them to uncover the likely culprits.

Thank you so much for clarifying these points for me, I did not have the mental energy to try catch up on this thread to see if anything new and verified had been posted, much appreciated.

 

[Friday Fan]

LE will need to trace JAZ's home life to resolve this case.

We don't know:

• Was he raised by both parents?
• Was he raised by his mother?
• How long was he raised by either of the parents?
• Was he placed in another home or institution etc?
• I don't think he was adopted at birth (at least legally) because he has a birth certificate with both of his parents' names.
• Did have specific health needs beyond normal childhood health needs?
• This could be difficult to determine because there may not be much of a paper trail.

The Z family needs time to process all of this.
My heart goes out to them as they come to terms with this

 

[Cattydcat]

LE will need to trace JAZ's home life to resolve this case.

We don't know:

• Was he raised by both parents?
• Was he raised by his mother?
• How long was he raised by either of the parents?
• Was he placed in another home or institution etc?
• I don't think he was adopted at birth (at least legally) because he has a birth certificate with both of his parents' names.
• This could be difficult to determine because there may not be much of a paper trail.

The Z family needs time to process all of this.
My heart goes out to them as they come to terms with this

I agree - my heart goes out to all the families in this. Clearly, it would be terribly shocking to anyone to find that their family is connected in any way.

I do believe Joseph deserved his name to be known, his story to be told and justice to be served. However, one of the families involved obviously ended up being publicly named by virtue of Joseph’s last name.

Unless the desire was to generate leads and publicity, it would inevitable lead to what has happened. If that was the reason to release his name, fine. If not, I feel it was a bad move to reveal it now and not when more facts could be released with it.

 

[Daphne1972]

I’m just wondering about the extensive bruising with the absence of any broken bones…

Is it possible he could have had beta-thalassemia which is more common in those of Italian descent?

It would account for hemorrhagic tendency, slow growth, fatigue, poor appetite, and frequent infections.

The treatment would be blood transfusion, which would match up with some of the scars.

If a parent was a carrier of the gene, it’s possible other siblings who inherited the most severe form of the disease would be stillborn or die in infancy…

Also some distinctive facial features from rarediseases.org: When facial bones are affected it can result in distinctive facial features including an abnormally prominent forehead (frontal bossing), full cheek bones (prominent malar eminence), a depressed bridge of the nose, and overgrowth (hypertrophy) of the upper jaw (maxillae), exposing the upper teeth.

Just a thought…

Williams syndrome

 

[Daphne1972]

JAZ did not have OI. I'm a pediatric nurse. Kiddos with OI have a very distinguishable skeleton.

How about Williams syndrome?

 

[Nell91]

My niece has William's syndrome, it would be really hard to tell facially if Joseph possibly had it as it's generally most obvious around the mouth area IMO

 

[coco]

LE will need to trace JAZ's home life to resolve this case.

We don't know:

• Was he raised by both parents?
• Was he raised by his mother?
• How long was he raised by either of the parents?
• Was he placed in another home or institution etc?
• I don't think he was adopted at birth (at least legally) because he has a birth certificate with both of his parents' names.
• Did have specific health needs beyond normal childhood health needs?
• This could be difficult to determine because there may not be much of a paper trail.

The Z family needs time to process all of this.
My heart goes out to them as they come to terms with this

And this post too, thank you for bringing some order for my frazzled mind, I appreciate it