Identified! PA - Philadelphia, 'Boy in the Box', WhtMale 4-6, 4UMPA, Feb'57

[Ms Suzanne]

This video haunts me.I know this sweet little boy can be Identified.Probably by DNA geneology matches.I do think he will look like this drawing of him.It makes me feel very sorry for him he is still unidentified.So very sad.


​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3QNkEar7tA&feature=share

 

[dotr]

This video haunts me.I know this sweet little boy can be Identified.Probably by DNA geneology matches.I do think he will look like this drawing of him.It makes me feel very sorry for him he is still unidentified.So very sad.


​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3QNkEar7tA&feature=share

A very good and clever video, but my goodness- it could make a heart break in two, poor little guy.
imo.

 

[leilarose68]

A court order is not needed to upload Boy in the box's DNA to GEDmatch. That's what DNA Doe Project is doing.



Yes they could, they'd need to use a DNA place like DNA Doe Project uses to try to extract DNA from bone or teeth. The DNA will be very degraded so they may only have 5% to work with. I doubt LE would be able to navigate it since it is so degraded. Hopefully DNA Doe Project decided to take his case.

DNA Doe Project has stated a bunch of times that they are not doing child's cases so they likely will not take his case, sadly. They only search for victim identities, not perpetrators. And since Boy in the Box like most children does was probably killed by family they would be searching for the perp, which is not what they do.

 

[thefragile7393]

DNA Doe Project has stated a bunch of times that they are not doing child's cases so they likely will not take his case, sadly. They only search for victim identities, not perpetrators. And since Boy in the Box like most children does was probably killed by family they would be searching for the perp, which is not what they do.

Too bad. So many UID children who could use their names back... someone brought to justice maybe...

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I very much agree with you.These little children need to be Identified.I feel if someone can help Identify them then they really need to.I'm sorry but I find no good reason not to do this DNA testing and matches for them or him.In the boy in the box's case the people who killed him are probably already dead.I very strongly feel they or LE or someone needs to do this DNA testing probably through GEDMATCH for him.I feel it's wrong not to.

Too bad. So many UID children who could use their names back... someone brought to justice maybe...

 

[Cubby]

DNA Doe Project has stated a bunch of times that they are not doing child's cases so they likely will not take his case, sadly. They only search for victim identities, not perpetrators. And since Boy in the Box like most children does was probably killed by family they would be searching for the perp, which is not what they do.

They would be searching for extended family and provide valid leads to the medical examiner. The ME is looking for an ID, not a perp. Plus, it's pretty clear in this case the perp is likely long deceased. Plus, Colleen Fitzpatrick already solved a case involving a child. http://www.identifinders.com/titanic.html
I wonder why this case would be different.

 

[outlawcountry911]

This case could be a good test for DNA Snapshot and dna genealogy

 

[Tssiemer]

They would be searching for extended family and provide valid leads to the medical examiner. The ME is looking for an ID, not a perp. Plus, it's pretty clear in this case the perp is likely long deceased. Plus, Colleen Fitzpatrick already solved a case involving a child. :: IdentiFinders - The Unknown Child on the Titanic ::
I wonder why this case would be different.

It's not that it's a child, it's that the people responsible are likely DNA related and ipso facto would be found out as well. I get it, I do, it's a slippery slope but some of us are willing to go down it for justice.

 

[leilarose68]

They would be searching for extended family and provide valid leads to the medical examiner. The ME is looking for an ID, not a perp. Plus, it's pretty clear in this case the perp is likely long deceased. Plus, Colleen Fitzpatrick already solved a case involving a child. :: IdentiFinders - The Unknown Child on the Titanic ::
I wonder why this case would be different.

The case is very different from the Titanic case... the boy on the titanic was not murdered or abused. Boy in the Box was. All of DDP's other work would get overshadowed in the media by the sensationalism of this family where the parents were abusive and no one came forward. When you start a non-profit you have to define the parameters and they don't want to tread into those ethically murky waters of using people's DNA in a database to unwittingly implicate a family member in a crime. There are more than enough adult Jane and John does that need attention and I'm glad they're focusing on them.

 

[mpnola]

Dna doe might not do it but no reason the police can't! That's their job... to get the evidence of who committed the crime so justice can be sought. Technology is helping to be able to do this more effectively and efficiently. It's time for everyone to hop on board. And for those who have murdered others to get scared.

 

[Cubby]

The case is very different from the Titanic case... the boy on the titanic was not murdered or abused. Boy in the Box was. All of DDP's other work would get overshadowed in the media by the sensationalism of this family where the parents were abusive and no one came forward. When you start a non-profit you have to define the parameters and they don't want to tread into those ethically murky waters of using people's DNA in a database to unwittingly implicate a family member in a crime. There are more than enough adult Jane and John does that need attention and I'm glad they're focusing on them.

I don't think as many people follow cold cases like we do. It would be different if it was a recent unidentified child whose abuser was likely still alive. The boy in the box would no longer have a living abuser. None of these unidentified cases being solved see much media hype. Either way, hopefully another organization doing similar work to what DDP is doing will take on this case.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

All of DDP's other work would get overshadowed in the media by the sensationalism of this family where the parents were abusive and no one came forward.

That's not necessarily the case IMO. This child was born sometime around 1953 or 1954. Vast numbers of people moved around the US during the Depression and WWII. There's nothing to say that any members of his extended family (aunts/uncles/cousins/grandparents) even knew he existed. If his parent or parents moved away from the rest of the family and lost touch with them for whatever reason, who would there be to come forward? The best that might be hoped for in that case is that an older sibling has spent decades wondering what happened to their kid brother.

 

[Cubby]

Here is another genealogy research group which might be interested in taking on this little guys case.

DNA Detectives

 

[leilarose68]

I don't think as many people follow cold cases like we do. It would be different if it was a recent unidentified child whose abuser was likely still alive. The boy in the box would no longer have a living abuser. None of these unidentified cases being solved see much media hype. Either way, hopefully another organization doing similar work to what DDP is doing will take on this case.

Marcia King's identification was covered by every major news outlet including DailyMail where her story got 'shared' over 1k times with people endlessly criticizing the family for not identifying her & that was just for not reporting her missing... the boy in the box's case would get a tremendous amount of attention and the family would get a ton of judgment and hate given the abuse the boy in the box suffered.

 

[CCJD]

Dna doe might not do it but no reason the police can't! That's their job... to get the evidence of who committed the crime so justice can be sought. Technology is helping to be able to do this more effectively and efficiently. It's time for everyone to hop on board. And for those who have murdered others to get scared.

In a perfect world, GEDMatch, et al, would become the go-to for LE. It certainly seems to garner quicker results than the DNA hit-or-miss that NamUs uses. Thing is, DNA Doe Project depends on donations from LE or the public and it's not cheap. If LE is going to have to foot the bill for the many UIDs out there, it's just not going to happen. Not when NamUs/UNT is free.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

If LE is going to have to foot the bill for the many UIDs out there, it's just not going to happen. Not when NamUs/UNT is free.

If NamUs/UNT did the job on their own, DDP would not be necessary.

Put it another way: DDP exists and/or fulfills a need because NamUS/UNT seems not to be particularly effective.

 

[Tssiemer]

Namus is limited. They have never said they will do family dna stuff.

 

[CCJD]

If NamUs/UNT did the job on their own, DDP would not be necessary.

Put it another way: DDP exists and/or fulfills a need because NamUS/UNT seems not to be particularly effective.

Yep, despite the drawbacks (funding), it would appear that DDP has built a better mousetrap.

 

[mpnola]

Marcia King's identification was covered by every major news outlet including DailyMail where her story got 'shared' over 1k times with people endlessly criticizing the family for not identifying her & that was just for not reporting her missing... the boy in the box's case would get a tremendous amount of attention and the family would get a ton of judgment and hate given the abuse the boy in the box suffered.

Its a baby in a box. It should receive a ton of outrage and anyone who didn't report or is responsible should be held accountable. If my child went missing, not only would I know he was gone, but I would 1 million percent report it. This world is not about, "well, I got away with it this long, I shouldn't receive public outrage now."

btw--- I'm not fussing at you. I just jumped off the post. Im fussing at people who harm children and then fail to report them missing, knowing it will be less likely they will be held accountable

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I hope and pray the Vidocq Society and LE will do this through GEDMATCH for him.

I personally don't think his family killed him.I very strongly feel he was put in an Orphanage,hospital,foster home or institution of some kind and I very strongly feel they should be held accountable if he died in thier care.But he deserves his real name on his gravestone with respect.He deserved that a very long time ago.Very sad.