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

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Earthbound Misfit I said:
It seems there were X-Rays taken according to an article dated August 9, 1957:

<snip>
Roberts decided to have the body X-rayed, to determine if there was an old fracture of the left arm, like the Damman boy. Footprints also were taken for comparison.

Spelman, meanwhile, came up with a more detailed report on the body. "The cool weather makes it difficult to tell how long the boy was dead," he said, "but it was at least two or three days, and possibly as long as two or three weeks. I don't think the body was in the field that long, though."

According to laboratory tests the boy had not been sexually assaulted.
"As closely as we can tell, he is four to five years old, 40 1/2 inches tall, weighing 30 pounds. He has a full set of baby teeth, still has his tonsils, and has no deformities. No past bone breaks, and no vaccination scar. It would seem he was well cared for, because his fingernails and toenails are carefully clipped."

"His haircut seems crude," Spelman continued. "Trimmed high around the sides. Could have been given at home by an inexpert barber, or perhaps in an institution."

By then, the failure of parents or acquaintances to claim the body, after pictures and descriptions had appeared in the press, led police to believe the boy had either lived in an institution or been brought from some distance.

City Welfare Commissioner Randolph E. Wise offered to check on the whereabouts of all children in foster homes under his jurisdiction, while police canvassed orphanages and children's homes. A thorough check was made of all missing persons reports. But within several days all these efforts proved fruitless.

Police department technicians reported the blanket wrapping the boy was of cheap cotton flannel, patterned in a sort of "Indian print" of green, rust and white blocks, with faded colors. It apparently had been recently washed, then mended with poor-grade cotton thread on a sewing machine.

The blanket had been torn into halves. Its overall size would have been 64 by 76 inches. However, a section 31 by 26 inches had been torn from one half, leading police to think it might have borne some identifying mark.

Although the blanket was untraceable, investigators had better luck with the box. Marked "Furniture", it carried no firm name, but through serial numbers detectives learned the carton had once contained a baby's bassinet, shipped to a West Philadelphia department store in November, 1956.

The store reported the bassinet had probably been sold between December 3, 1956, and February 16, 1957. Roberts issued a public plea for the purchasers of all such bassinets during that period - there were believed to be about a dozen - to come forward and tell where they disposed of the cartons.

There were several other clues.

One was a blue corduroy "Ivy League" cap, size 7 1/8, found 30 feet from the body. The wearer had stuffed tissue paper in the sweatband. It had been manufactured in Philadelphia, but the trail ended there.

Two hundred feet from the body, along Verree Road, police searchers found a cache of clothing for a woman and child - but the smaller clothing was not the dead boy's size.

A story told by an informant who later contacted police seemed to cast some light on this clothing, but created a new mystery.

Two days before the body was found, said the man to Lieutenant William Lovejoy of the northeast detective division, he had been driving along Verree Road when he saw a middle-aged woman and a boy, 12 to 14, unloading something from the trunk of a car.

"I thought the car might have a flat tire, so I stopped and asked if I could help. They didn't say a word, and seemed to be standing so as to block my view of the license plate."

The scene which he described was almost exactly where the clothing had been found. The informant described the car and the woman and boy, but they were never found.

Meanwhile, the possibility that the dead boy was Steven Damman had been eliminated. Two Nassau County detectives came to Philadelphia to view the body and confer with local investigators. Footprints failed to compare; the body showed no left arm fracture. The visitors left convinced it was not Steven's.
</snip>

Complete article: http://americasunknownchild.net/FrontPage.htm
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UGH. What if he HAD been adopted, and was "discarded" when the couple who had adopted him (believing they were infertile) had a child of their own, for whom the bassinet was purchased in mid February.
 
SeriouslySearching said:
Welcome, Vandersbabe~

I had seen the child's photo before, but was unaware of the case until now. I found reading the site very interesting. I have some questions tho.

M" recalled that, as she and her mother were preparing to remove the boy's body from the trunk, a male driver unexpectedly stopped and asked them if they were having car trouble. They quickly turned their backs to the man, and said nothing. They were careful to block the man's view of the license plate on their car. After a few anxious moments that must have seemed like an eternity, the man continued on his way. ("M's" account almost exactly matched the confidential testimony of the anonymous male witness who had originally reported this incident to the police in 1957.) After the man drove away, "M" and her mother removed the boy's body from the trunk and placed it in a large cardboard box that they found at the scene.

Then it goes on to say later:

Unfortunately, six months later, having left "no stone unturned" in their relentless search for corroborating evidence, the investigators came up empty. Not a single one of "M's" allegations could be substantiated.

http://www.americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm (I bolded)

Now, how could they state nothing was substantiated if they already said her statement matched an anonymous male's confidential testimony about the incident taking place on that stretch of road back in 1957?!
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The man reported what he had seen before "M" told her story, which conveniently matched. It may have been considered unreliable if they had established that she had heard the man's statement before giving hers.
 
I don't remember reading this.I don't know how I missed this.It says a boy was missing from the foster home they were looking at.But he was found in Florida?

Who was this little boy?When did he come up missing from there? When was he found in Florida? I wonder if he could have been returned to Philadelphia after he was found and returned or put in another place or institution.Maybe they should look into him again too.I'm really interested in this.


'TO GIVE THE CHILD A NAME . . . A LIFE'

Sunday, October 23, 1988
Bristow learned that the children slept on cots in the log cabin in the summer. He found out that a young boy under the couple's care was missing, but the boy was later found in Florida with his mother.



http://americasunknownchild.net/Archives10.html#TGACAN
 
Ms Suzanne said:
Hopefully someone new can check all these places for their records or court house records.I don't know if they were checked.I really don't think they were.



Here is another place St Vincents Tacony on Milnor street.It's about 7 miles or so from where he was found.


I think the cold case show might have been thinking of that place maybe.I wonder what they may have actually really found out doing that show.If some of it is fact.Like did the guy Frederick J. Benonis that called in the lead in the beginning really go ask LE many times about the case over the years and did he really see a nun visiting his grave many times over the years?I wonder how they found that out.Just curious.
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Ms. Suzanne, please know you are appreciated. This little guy has many over the years who have cared about him.

Just wanted to let you know about Saint Vincent's. O'Really basically gave you a rundown on "orphanages" and "poorhouses" through the city.

My friend was actually in Saint Vincent's as were her siblings. Put it this way............she has absolutely to this day no idea who her mother was. She can't get a Passport even. Records were Doctored, and not by Saint Vincent's. By the person that put them in there. Years ago it stopped taking children in as was a Daycare I believe. Indeed Nuns took care of her. The SSJ Nuns I believe.

My dad worked with Mr. Weinstein as I mentioned waaaaaaaaaay upthread. He has passed, but I do know this stayed with him always.

Recenlty watching a show on Pennhurst one of our local news men did it brought this little guy to mind. However, I don't think they had children that little in there. Certainly there were no Nuns.

Again, Bless you. I do hope he gets a name. He truly was cherished after he was gone by many people.
 
Ms Suzanne said:
Can someone please help me find out More on this? I found something actually by accident.I was not looking for this.I was looking for farms near Susquehanna rd near where this little boy was found and I noticed on pine rd there was a ury house-actually Medical Mission Sisters on pine rd.It's about 0.6 miles from where he was found.Was this a hospital or some thing where this little boy could have went to them or through them some how?They did say he was in ill health.
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Ms Suzanne, I'm sorry I skipped this post. No, these Sister's are more like social justice type of work. They do work with things like addiction. They travel around the world I believe as well doing missionary type work. Even back in 1957 I don't think they would take in a child.

It's alot of ground there. Honestly the most I know about them is a friend of mine goes to their Thrift Shop.

Hope that helped.
 
Well,I do think he was in an orphanage or foster home.I'm thinking possibly just getting into one.Can people please help find out which places gave hair cuts like the one he had.Pictures or something.It looks like St Johns Orphanage gave boys hair cuts like that.Is this a catholic orphanages type hair cut? Would St Vincent's Tacony and other catholic orphanages give the same hair cuts?I'm trying to narrow down which institutions I think he may have possibly went into.

What institutions around that time in 1957 gave hair cuts like that.
 
Thank you for helping me keep his picture and information out there and trying to find out who he is.I believe someone does know who he is.
 
Ms Suzanne said:
From the Americas Unknown Boy(the boy in the box website-Does anyone know or can find out who this little boy was that was put in this orphanage or who his parents were or what private orphanage in west Philadelphia he was put into? I think this little boy should be looked into again.Please let me know if you find out who he was.

Unidentified Pennsylvania Couple - In March 1957, a Manayunk, PA couple told detectives they thought the boy might be their 6-year-old son, whom they had last seen seven months earlier when he was placed in an orphanage by the Municipal Court. The mother said the boy "looks like him" and the father said he wasn't "too sure." A team of detectives later found the boy in a private orphanage in West Philadelphia.
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You know,I think a mother would know who their little boy was if she saw him.She said it looked like him.Terry Lee Speece's mother came in to view him(The boy in the box) and adamantly said that is not my son and it wasn't.I think this little boy from the Manayunk couple through the Municipal court should be looked into again.There should be court records and records of that little boy somewhere.Where is that little boy now?Can anyone find out who that little boy was?
 
I feel some of these leads need to be looked into again.This lead was generated by Americas most wanted show in 1998.What ever happened to this lead?Who were these people and what happened?

http://americasunknownchild.net/summary.htm

Leads Generated By the America's Most Wanted TV Broadcast of October 3, 1998:


Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Lead - A man showed up at Philadelphia Homicide and reported that his half-brother, 14 months older than himself, had mysteriously disappeared around the time that the unknown boy's body was discovered. He said it was a secret among the family for years. He also said that forensic sculptor Frank Bender's hypothetical bust of the unknown boy's father looked exactly like his own deceased father. Detective Augustine tried to track down other relatives who might have been able to add to the man's story. Eventual result: another dead end.




This is another lead generated by America's most wanted.Both of these leads came to a dead end.That tells me there was no conclusion to these leads.I feel someone,anyone should look into these leads again.

Modesto, California Lead - A woman reported that a man her aunt married many years ago fled Philadelphia under suspicious circumstances. Local authorities interviewed the woman at Detective Tom Augustine's request, and sent back a photograph of a boy that "could have been the unknown boy's half-brother." This lead eventually turned out to be a dead end.
 
Both of those leads were about a half brother in Philadelphia.Was the half brother in any of these leads the boy in the box?This is when this little boy in the box's case went national.
 
I have looked into who this little boy in the box could be for many years now.I have children from age 27 down to age 9.My older children grew up watching me try to find out who this little one is too.Now my younger children are too.I use to feel the Horsham suspects had something to do with this boy(I have not totally ruled them out yet)But I am actually going another way now with this little boy.

Unidentified Pennsylvania Couple - In March 1957, a Manayunk, PA couple told detectives they thought the boy might be their 6-year-old son, whom they had last seen seven months earlier when he was placed in an orphanage by the Municipal Court. The mother said the boy "looks like him" and the father said he wasn't "too sure." A team of detectives later found the boy in a private orphanage in West Philadelphia.

Did police see this little Manayunk Pennsylvania boy.Who told them this?It fits to me.The boy in the box was in ill health for about 6 months to a year.Their little boy was put in a West Philadelphia orphanage 7 months before.This would show me the neglect and malnutrition possibly happened in the orphanage.I have scanned yellow pages for 1956 phone book.1957 was too blurry and not of good quality.It looks like he was put in St Johns Orphanage.

I feel they should do DNA testing to see if that Manayunk Pennsylvania boy is the boy in the box.Have they checked mt DNA with that little boy.I feel if they are truly leaving no stone unturned.Then I strongly feel they should check with that little boy.Can someone see if they will do this.Please let me know if anyone finds out who that Manayunk Pennsylvania boy was.
 
MsSuzette-
I was reading a book called They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Burch. It's a about a little boy who lives through horrible abuse as he is bounced from orphanage to intsitution to foster homes in New York because his mother is sick. It really reminded me of Boy in the Box. It is a true story about the author, Jennings. Jennings could have ended up as the boy in the box if he did not learn to survive. It is a hard book to read-so sad,especially withknowing everything written actually happened. I just wanted to reach through the pages and hug him! But I thought this would be a book you'd like:) It will give you a much deeper perspective on the boy in the box.
They Cage the Animals at Night (Signet)
 
It looks like a very sad book.I'm so sorry that happened to him.These places were suppose to help him.Not hurt him.
 
amber1 said:
MsSuzette-
I was reading a book called They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Burch. It's a about a little boy who lives through horrible abuse as he is bounced from orphanage to institution to foster homes in New York because his mother is sick. It really reminded me of Boy in the Box. It is a true story about the author, Jennings. Jennings could have ended up as the boy in the box if he did not learn to survive. It is a hard book to read-so sad,especially with knowing everything written actually happened. I just wanted to reach through the pages and hug him! But I thought this would be a book you'd like:) It will give you a much deeper perspective on the boy in the box.
They Cage the Animals at Night (Signet): Jennings Michael Burch: 9780451159410: Amazon.com: Books
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I find it funny that you reference this book. I actually met the author about 15 years ago when a local middle school was reading his book and invited him to speak there. For his talk, he brought along a duffel bag and at the end he pulled out his beloved "Doggie". It definitely gives you a different perspective of how children were treated in orphanages/institutions. I know that I personally didn't realize the amount of abuse and neglect going on.
 
I agree.I never knew abuse in orphanages or foster homes happened like this either.It's very sad.
 
In the beginning of the investigation, what was the name of the man who wanted his hat altered to include a strap on it.
 
skeet said:
In the beginning of the investigation, what was the name of the man who wanted his hat altered to include a strap on it.
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As far as I understand his name is unknown but the clerk did describe him and there is a composite of him on the big website about this child (don't remember the address but it is easy to google).
 
I wonder what the name of the store was, or the name of the woman who was doing the alterations. Usually when you drop something off and need to return to pick it up you leave your name and number so that person can call you when the job is done. I'll try to find the name of the store.

Tried to find the "48 hour" segment that aired showing the foster home but couldn't find that either, not that I think they were involved, LE has cleared them 100%, but just wanted to look at the children on the video for other missing person cases. I couldn't even find out the names of the foster children they had.

I find the boys haircut strange and the fact that his nails were recently cut and his blanket washed. I think the hair cut was done by a family member and not at a barber shop, They usually brush you off at a barber shop and I think they found a lot of hair on his body.

I wonder if they were "grooming" him because he was going to go live with someone else, either by selling him to someone or someone was arranging an adoption for him. If either of those plans fell through it might have made the person who killed him angry.

Wonder if any local adoption agencies where checked out to see who was trying to have their child adopted.
 
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