Identified! PA - Philadelphia, 'Boy in the Box', WhtMale 4-6, 4UMPA, Feb'57 #2 - Joseph Augustus Zarelli

[Snackcakes66]

Was so hoping for a name, some kind of resolution, more info for this boy for Christmas. Hopefully the new year will bring him his name, and those who care for him some peace.

 

[wary]

It wasn’t just the possibility of long hair that made Frank Bender theorize he was raised as a girl: the eyebrows appeared styled. Boy in the Box (Philadelphia) - Wikipedia

How many people in the 1950s would have styled the eyebrows of even a female child? Serious question

 

[Shamrock1]

How many people in the 1950s would have styled the eyebrows of even a female child? Serious question

I don’t know, but that’s what Frank Bender believed. I’ve certainly heard of 1950s mothers dying their young daughters’ hair and putting them on diets. JMO.

 

[Friday Fan]

There was one danger Kelly was aware of as he plunged back into the case, one that Rem himself might have succumbed to: wanting an answer too badly, believing in a certain resolution despite its shaky logic. Bristow had grown more obsessed with each passing year. One time, while on vacation in Mexico, he was struck by the idea that perhaps the reason no one recognized the boy was because he’d been raised as a girl. Right then and there, Bristow paid a street artist to draw a picture of what the boy would have looked like dressed as a girl, working off of an autopsy photo he always carried.
Who is the Boy in the Box? (Part One) - Philadelphia Magazine

Frank Bender would have been 16 in 1957, so he would have been too young to actually witness the Boy in the Box's autopsy.

I personally don't see groomed brows in the "untouched" online post-mortem images. JMO

There are also prone images of him post mortem too.

I see retouched images that show his brows groomed and lipstick. I don't know where the retouched images originated. Did they come from 1957? It appears they put a bunch of make up on him for his display... Poor little Boy in the Box...

 

[Susikatze]

Its likely the result of embalming. Was standard back in the day

 

[Shamrock1]

It wasn’t just the eyebrows that led to the theory that he was raised as a female. There were clumps of hair on the body, suggesting his hair was worn long and then hastily cut short just before/after death. This theory could accord with Martha’s statements that he was SA’d by Martha’s mother IMO.

 

[Oakie]

Who is the Boy in the Box? (Part One) - Philadelphia Magazine

The link to Part 2 in the article is a dead link. Do you have a good one?

Never mind; I found it.

Who is the Boy in the Box? (Part Two) - Philadelphia Magazine

 

[Sweetluv]

Praying 2022 will be this little boys year!!!
It's been way too long

 

[Essex143]

I found this article in the (news herald, Perkasie, Pennsylvania) for the graduating class of 1967. I noticed this guy named Robert Berg whose parents are listed as Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nicoletti. Why was his last name Berg? Another thing that caught my attention is that he is bucktoothed. Boy in the box was found with a full set of baby teeth and is said to have been slightly bucktoothed; which brings me back to foster home theory.

 

[taramarie]

I thought we’d have an update by now based on the story that ran before Christmas. Has anyone heard anything?

 

[janewall]

I thought we’d have an update by now based on the story that ran before Christmas. Has anyone heard anything?

Crickets in the Philly news media.

 

[AndTheCaseOf]

I read about this case maybe a decade ago and was glad to hear he was being given back his identity. Back at the end of December, a member of the group that's working on the DNA tree mentioned that the coroner is doing a final confirmation and they might have an announcement in 3 to 4 months. I hope it's sooner, but I understand the wait considering the age of the case.

 

[cenazoic]

I noticed this guy named Robert Berg whose parents are listed as Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nicoletti. Why was his last name Berg?

Maybe his parents were Mr. and Mrs. Berg, then his mother remarried Arthur Nicoletti after divorcing/the death of Mr. Berg?

 

[Gameman]

I was under the impression that February would bring an announcement, but that was based on something said back at the beginning of November. I'm sure information from the end of December is more accurate, which is a bummer. So I suppose it's going to be another 2-3 months before his identity is announced.

 

[Springrain]

I was under the impression that February would bring an announcement, but that was based on something said back at the beginning of November. I'm sure information from the end of December is more accurate, which is a bummer. So I suppose it's going to be another 2-3 months before his identity is announced.

We don't know that he's been ID'd yet, do we? Or did I miss something?

 

[Friday Fan]

We don't know that he's been ID'd yet, do we? Or did I miss something?

We don't.

I guess they would take his namus down if he was.
Last I heard, they were working with a European company on DNA extraction. It sounds like they were probably able to extract DNA.

 

[AndTheCaseOf]

I just didn't want to get in trouble with the mods on my first post by posting links and names. I will say that when Springrain mentioned Identifinders, I searched for them and found 2 Youtube interviews with the info. In the first one on Oct 30th (at the 59 minute mark), A.P. reveals that they are working on the "Boy in the Box" case and that they are close to done. M.G. right after that mentions a "dynamic duo" case to control the slip up. Then, on Dec. 28 (at the 33 minute mark) on the same channel, M.G. references how A.P. made a slip up last time, and for that case a coroner is doing a final confirmation and maybe they will announce in 3 or 4 months. Since she mentioned that A.P. revealed the case and not her, it sounds like she's referencing the "Boy in the Box" case again, but I could be wrong.

 

[Gameman]

Thanks for clearing that up! There was another point in the video where one of them, I believe it was C.F., made a definitive statement about knowing this record for oldest case will be soon broken or is already broken. Either way, I'm anxiously waiting.

 

[Friday Fan]

Thanks for clearing that up! There was another point in the video where one of them, I believe it was C.F., made a definitive statement about knowing this record for oldest case will be soon broken or is already broken. Either way, I'm anxiously waiting.

Once they obtain a suitable DNA profile, the hard work begins!
It can take months or years to do genetic genealogy. It all depends on Boy the Box's family. It you obtain a 3rd or 4th cousin, it can take years. It you get lucky and a sibling has DNA on gedmatch, the results are quick. It all depends on his family and if they have tested.

However, before this begins, the DNA profile must also be suitable for genetic genealogy. I'm hoping they have a suitable profile.

 

[Gameman]

The DNA has *probably* been deemed adequate. The authorities stated, not too long ago, that they believed they would have a name by the end of 2021. Like other cases that were announced many months after solving, I personally am of the mind that it's been figured out but now is the time for taking care of loose ends before making it official. Maybe that's being optimistic. Time will tell! This has been an amazing few years for identifying Does. Whomever is responsible for this little boy's murder deserves to be outed, even if it's posthumously.