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

[GoBuckeyes]

When is the announcement scheduled?

 

[musicaljoke]

When is the announcement scheduled?

As of 11:00 am today:

When contacted by Newsweek, a Philadelphia police department spokesperson said they do not have any releasable information at this time.

They noted that they do expect to "provide a significant update on this case in the near future."

Mystery of "Boy in the Box" sparks various theories over six decades

New DNA evidence has allowed police to identity the boy and find his birth certificate according to reports.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Friday Fan]

As of 11:00 am today:

When contacted by Newsweek, a Philadelphia police department spokesperson said they do not have any releasable information at this time.

They noted that they do expect to "provide a significant update on this case in the near future."

Mystery of "Boy in the Box" sparks various theories over six decades

New DNA evidence has allowed police to identity the boy and find his birth certificate according to reports.

www.newsweek.com

Oh no! They were gonna announce his name this week...

Are they???

Ugh...

Philly Police Reveal ID of 'Boy in the Box'

More than six decades since an unidentified boy was found dead and abandoned in Philadelphia, police identified the child and revealed his name on Thursday.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

Officials are expected to announce the child’s name at an upcoming news conference next week.

ETA: Maybe I misread the article...

Hoping they announce his name soon

 

[RaspberryMama]

The suspense is brutal!

 

[Shamrock1]

“Prominent” doesn’t necessarily mean much wealth. Clergy, politicians, and a line of well-liked educators or firefighters come to mind. And there’s a massive gap between, say, enough $ to own an average Main Line home and the kind of $ that gets your name on hospitals.

I guess one theory is that he had disabilities that would put a serious dent in their savings. But I think this was more a matter of his family being embarrassed by an out-of-wedlock birth.

If M is correct that the boy was sold, it might actually point to a family (or at least a woman) that could use a little extra $. Do I think he was sold to put food on the table? Nope. Maybe it was a young unmarried woman who couldn’t keep him for social reasons, couldn’t seek out an adoption agency for social reasons, and decided it was a “win-win” to sell him to a family that couldn’t afford traditional adoption costs. Could also be a married woman who had an affair and couldn’t risk getting her clergy involved in a formal adoption.

 

[Blackbirdsitdon]

“Prominent” doesn’t necessarily mean much wealth. Clergy, politicians, and a line of well-liked educators or firefighters come to mind. And there’s a massive gap between, say, enough $ to own an average Main Line home and the kind of $ that gets your name on hospitals.

Agreed. Teachers, mayors, owners of a local grocery chain, coaches, pastors, librarians, policemen--all of these types of professions could be called locally "prominent" in context.

 

[rosesfromangels]

In reading info about what was observed in the autopsy, my amateur speculations ponder whether this child had an inguinal hernia, which would align with the groin incision. Thus, he was known by a surgeon who didn’t hear about this case?!

I further speculate the marks on the forehead weren’t lividity, but an adults fingerprint grip when he was getting the haircut. I think it was then that they lost control and beat the fragile child to death, or near death, and dumped him in a rage.

All amateur opinion and speculation

 

[RaspberryMama]

In reading info about what was observed in the autopsy, my amateur speculations ponder whether this child had an inguinal hernia, which would align with the groin incision. Thus, he was known by a surgeon who didn’t hear about this case?!

I further speculate the marks on the forehead weren’t lividity, but an adults fingerprint grip when he was getting the haircut. I think it was then that they lost control and beat the fragile child to death, or near death, and dumped him in a rage.

All amateur opinion and speculation

Wow, this really rings true to me. Some kids are difficult when getting haircuts. Not so difficult that they deserve to die of course (!) but some find it hard to sit still and patiently cooperate. I have had to take a "mommy timeout" with my own little one who was trying my patience during a haircut. And I adore him to the moon and back.

I can really see this happening to an unloved child by his abuser. How incredibly sad.

 

[Friday Fan]

In reading info about what was observed in the autopsy, my amateur speculations ponder whether this child had an inguinal hernia, which would align with the groin incision. Thus, he was known by a surgeon who didn’t hear about this case?!

I further speculate the marks on the forehead weren’t lividity, but an adults fingerprint grip when he was getting the haircut. I think it was then that they lost control and beat the fragile child to death, or near death, and dumped him in a rage.

All amateur opinion and speculation

The scars on the ankle are intriguing and indicate a possible " venous cutdown" scar

Venous cutdown is a minor topical surgical procedure which is performed when IV access is not successful. Infants with chronic medical conditions tend to "run out of" accessible veins. Although the wiki article indicates it used in emergencies, in infants and young children it is the end result of unsuccessful IV attempts. This most often occurs in infants with chronic conditions where frequent IV access is required. (Veins get "blown" easily in young kiddos)

A mild anesthesia is applied to the site. The cut down is performed and IV is inserted. The IV is then stitched in place and secured.

Venous cutdown - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Friday Fan]

Although they tried to match footprints of infants born locally, it sounds like it was a daunting task. And I don't know how "scientific" it was.
So, BITB could have been born locally and the footprint matching just "didn't work out".

PhillyMag

Who was the mysterious Boy in the Box? Who killed him, and why? Was his death a tragic accident or a cruel and deliberate act of child homicide? Will this little boy's true identity ever be known, or will he forever remain America's Unknown Child?

americasunknownchild.net

Occasionally the prints were nothing but an ink splotch, impossible to read, and Kelly would despair: Is that you?

 

[squish]

In reading info about what was observed in the autopsy, my amateur speculations ponder whether this child had an inguinal hernia, which would align with the groin incision. Thus, he was known by a surgeon who didn’t hear about this case?!

I further speculate the marks on the forehead weren’t lividity, but an adults fingerprint grip when he was getting the haircut. I think it was then that they lost control and beat the fragile child to death, or near death, and dumped him in a rage.

All amateur opinion and speculation

The groin scar might be from an undescended testicle, which isn’t uncommon in baby boys and fairly simple to fix if it’s sitting in the groin.

I think inguinal hernias are more common in older men

 

[Friday Fan]

The groin scar might be from an undescended testicle, which isn’t uncommon in baby boys and fairly simple to fix if it’s sitting in the groin.

I think inguinal hernias are more common in older men

My kiddo had inguinal hernia repair at 6 weeks!

However, just checked with hubby and he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia in 1959 (when he was a few months old) and had the surgery when he was an adult.

 

[squish]

My kiddo had inguinal hernia repair at 6 weeks!

However, just checked with hubby and he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia in 1959 (when he was a few months old) and had the surgery when he was an adult.

I stand corrected! I just looked it up and they are in fact most common in babies! I associate them with middle-aged and older men because that’s what my dad had.

I’ve learned that in babies with undescended testicles, they fail to travel from the abdomen into the scrotum, via the inguinal canal. In inguinal hernias in newborns, the testicles descend properly, but the inguinal canal doesn’t shrink properly afterwards, leading to abdominal organs to peep through.

In our little John Doe, either way the surgery scars suggest that he had proper medical care at some point in his life.

If M is correct and he was learning disabled, and her family acquired him about aged 2, this could explain why his family got rid at about the age that learning disabilities become apparent, after initially being a properly cared for baby.

 

[Friday Fan]

I stand corrected! I just looked it up and they are in fact most common in babies! I associate them with middle-aged and older men because that’s what my dad had.

I’ve learned that in babies with undescended testicles, they fail to travel from the abdomen into the scrotum, via the inguinal canal. In inguinal hernias in newborns, the testicles descend properly, but the inguinal canal doesn’t shrink properly afterwards, leading to abdominal organs to peep through.

In our little John Doe, either way the surgery scars suggest that he had proper medical care at some point in his life.

If M is correct and he was learning disabled, and her family acquired him about aged 2, this could explain why his family got rid at about the age that learning disabilities become apparent, after initially being a properly cared for baby.

Hubby, a few hours ago: "Why did you ask me about my hernia?"

I couldn't remember whether he had one as an infant, so I asked him. I knew he had a repair when he was in college. The repair was physically difficult for him. Our son recovered in about a day.

 

[Hexe]

I guess one theory is that he had disabilities that would put a serious dent in their savings. But I think this was more a matter of his family being embarrassed by an out-of-wedlock birth.

If this little one was disabled then giving him away had nothing to do with money and everything with embarrasment. Because having a disabled kid, especially a mentally disabled one, was still seen as an embarrasment and shame by many if not most people. Something like that did not happen in decent families, that was the view. So if this kid was intellectually disabled or autistic and unable to mask, it is highly possible his family was deeply ashamed. A prominent family would not want such a blemish on their image, so the problematic kid would be hidden immediately after obtaining diagnosis. There were many "asylums" and "clinics" designed to hide such "shameful secrets" of prominent families, most of them horribly abusive to their patients.

The Boy having sensory integration issues would fit his clumpy "hairdo". His malnourishment might easily be a result of sensory issues too, making a lot of foods inedible for him and treated with "eat what you were served or be hungry".

 

[Shamrock1]

I suspect it was a mix of out-of-wedlock birth and some kind of later-discovered disability. Mother sold him and his additional needs became apparent as a toddler (and his special needs were compounded by abuse and neglect).

 

[RaspberryMama]

If this little one was disabled then giving him away had nothing to do with money and everything with embarrasment. Because having a disabled kid, especially a mentally disabled one, was still seen as an embarrasment and shame by many if not most people. Something like that did not happen in decent families, that was the view. So if this kid was intellectually disabled or autistic and unable to mask, it is highly possible his family was deeply ashamed. A prominent family would not want such a blemish on their image, so the problematic kid would be hidden immediately after obtaining diagnosis. There were many "asylums" and "clinics" designed to hide such "shameful secrets" of prominent families, most of them horribly abusive to their patients.

The Boy having sensory integration issues would fit his clumpy "hairdo". His malnourishment might easily be a result of sensory issues too, making a lot of foods inedible for him and treated with "eat what you were served or be hungry".

I'm so thankful we are aware of sensory integration issues these days. I have a ten year old son with some of these issues. It's been a continuous learning experience for me. I do have to advocate for him against the old " if a kid is hungry he'll eat" mentality within my own family even. If it feels like sand or worse in your mouth or tastes weird how hungry would you have to be to willingly eat it? It's true that some children will not eat until they are literally starving to death and they aren't being stubborn or "bad," they are just being their individual selves with their individual issues. Keeping a favorite food handy and not making a big deal out of it at dinnertime goes a long way towards peace in the home and a happy, healthy, loved child. Occupational therapy can help gradually make difficult foods easier.

That's my PSA for the day, folks.

Thinking about what this little guy endured continues to break my heart.

 

[iamshadow21]

I suspect it was a mix of out-of-wedlock birth and some kind of later-discovered disability. Mother sold him and his additional needs became apparent as a toddler (and his special needs were compounded by abuse and neglect).

The question mark I think hangs over the 'sold him' angle, is that who is going to buy a disabled child? Especially in the 1950s, when you could be arrested for being visibly disabled in public. (The last of the 'Ugly' Laws wasn't repealed until 1974 in Chicago! Disability Rights Timeline ) I can see a childless family buying a child born out of wedlock to have their own family, but for many children born in this way, disabled or just illegitimate, you paid the family or baby farmer to take them, they didn't pay you.

The only way I can see money going to the 'birth' family is if he was perfect and desirable as a potential son. And if he was clearly disabled and that was the reason for the 'birth' family's rejection, he wouldn't be perfect. They'd be paying for his maintenance, or paying a one-off sum for him to be taken away. It's the only attraction for the family taking him - much like families today who foster for the cheques, not for the welfare of the kids they take on.

MOO

 

[tbgo]

Why did police make this announcement only to have them not be ready to reveal anything? They shouldn’t have said anything until everything was in order.

 

[squish]

The question mark I think hangs over the 'sold him' angle, is that who is going to buy a disabled child? Especially in the 1950s, when you could be arrested for being visibly disabled in public. (The last of the 'Ugly' Laws wasn't repealed until 1974 in Chicago! Disability Rights Timeline ) I can see a childless family buying a child born out of wedlock to have their own family, but for many children born in this way, disabled or just illegitimate, you paid the family or baby farmer to take them, they didn't pay you.

The only way I can see money going to the 'birth' family is if he was perfect and desirable as a potential son. And if he was clearly disabled and that was the reason for the 'birth' family's rejection, he wouldn't be perfect. They'd be paying for his maintenance, or paying a one-off sum for him to be taken away. It's the only attraction for the family taking him - much like families today who foster for the cheques, not for the welfare of the kids they take on.

MOO

Unfortunately, abusers very much like children who cannot easily communicate about what is happening to them.