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

[Ms Suzanne]

http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2007/02/15/boy-missing


QUOTE
The two teeth and jawbone contained only mitochondrial DNA, whose separate sequence is too small to produce a conclusive match to any individual.




It says in this article that when they exhumed this little ones body they got two teeth and a jaw bone for DNA extraction.I believe if they still have these teeth and jaw bone they can send in a new sample and have them do the isotope testing.If not they do indeed need to exhume him to do isotope and other testing to help find out who he is.I feel it is very selfish of them if the don't exhume him to do these testing.It's wrong.This little boy deserves his real name on his grave like all of us will have.

 

[Lostindetroit]

http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2007/02/15/boy-missing


QUOTE
The two teeth and jawbone contained only mitochondrial DNA, whose separate sequence is too small to produce a conclusive match to any individual.

Wow that was a well written article. I hope the Vidocq Society can shed some new light on the case. I know they have been at it for a while but they are notorious for solving long cold, very cold cases. Like they said though there may not be any more information they can gather from the original case files. Lets hope they can get some sort of match through codis eventually that would shed some light on this poor kids identity.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I think people should just call the Philadelphia Police Homicide.It's their case.They are are on his case now.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Does anyone know if LE is going to do the isotope testing on him or the status of his investigation? Are they doing anything at all? I would love to hear an update on this little one.

 

[mae]

So I guess what I need to do is put my pride on the shelf, add more time on my phone card because I don't have long distance, and find the time to keep calling people on my days off from my job.

It's unfortunate how hard it is to get through to people. Hopefully, you will have a break soon.

As a note, I use Google Voice to make free phone calls. I have to use my computer, but there is no cost. Perhaps this would be an alternative.

 

[alliemay]

Thanks I never heard of that, I will check into it.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

You are doing very good trying to call and find out what is going on with this little one.Hopefully other people are calling and will keep calling to find out the status of his investigation.Please let me and us know anything if anyone finds out anything.It does very sadly look like no one is trying to find out who this little one is.It's just very sad.I do not believe every stone was turned.I believe what happened to this little one and who he is was an early lead called in where something was overlooked or covered up.Can some one new please look into his case and investigation again.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

May I please put this again.

The boy in the box-A 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.

This little boy put in this orphanage has really been bothering me alot.I keep thinking about him.I would like to know who these people were and the name of this little boy put into the orphanage.I feel the orphanage possibly lied to LE the little boy was there when he wasn't.He was dead.I feel this little boy should be seriously looked into again.I need help finding out who he was and where he is today.I would like to turn this in as a serious lead.But I can't get a hold of anyone.To check with DNA if that boy is the boy in the box.Please let me know if anyone finds out who this Manayunk Pennsylvania couple was and who that little boy put in that orphanage and what orphanage it was.

I just need help finding out who that little boy put in that orphanage was and what orphanage he was put into.It bothers me the mother of that little boy put in that orphanage said the boy in the box looks like her son.I just can't let go of that.

 

[mae]

I remember this info posted, but I am not sure it is verified

>St Johns Orphanage Asylum for Boys, 49th and Wyalusing Ave. in Philadelphia.

You can read more about it here:

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=631&p=topics.orphans.us.pa
http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.religious.life/38/mb.ashx
http://stjohnsorphanage.blogspot.com/

On Facebook--maybe it should be posted here?
https://www.facebook.com/st.johnsorphanagephila
To discuss living at St. John's between 1940-1970 Hosted by Al Mckinnon

 

[Ms Suzanne]

I remember this info posted, but I am not sure it is verified

>St Johns Orphanage Asylum for Boys, 49th and Wyalusing Ave. in Philadelphia.

You can read more about it here:

http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=631&p=topics.orphans.us.pa
http://boards.ancestry.com/topics.religious.life/38/mb.ashx
http://stjohnsorphanage.blogspot.com/

On Facebook--maybe it should be posted here?
https://www.facebook.com/st.johnsorphanagephila
To discuss living at St. John's between 1940-1970 Hosted by Al Mckinnon

Yes.I was asking the same information on there as I did here trying to find out who that other boy from Manayunk Pennsylvania put in that orphanage was and what orphanage he was put into(The information is from America's Unknown Child website).It does not say what orphanage the Manayunk Pennsylvania boy was put into.It just says a West Philadelphia private orphanage.I assumed it was St Johns orphanage.

St Johns Orphanage is very much on my radar of orphanages to look into.

 

[mae]

Nice. I should have looked at the user name—it would have given it away.

Are there other potential places it could have been?

From the ancestry threads, it sounds like records at St. John's were destroyed so it's unlikely the orphanage kept his laying around. It would be interesting to see if any other people remember him being there.

There have to be in the reports somewhere, right? I suppose that would be one way to pursue find out who exactly this couple is.

Do you know if there are phone books or census reports for Manayuk at that time? That might be a place to start.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Nice. I should have looked at the user name—it would have given it away.

Are there other potential places it could have been?

From the ancestry threads, it sounds like records at St. John's were destroyed so it's unlikely the orphanage kept his laying around. It would be interesting to see if any other people remember him being there.

There have to be in the reports somewhere, right? I suppose that would be one way to pursue find out who exactly this couple is.

Do you know if there are phone books or census reports for Manayuk at that time? That might be a place to start.

I don't have a name to go on.I have no idea how or what to look for.I hope someone who knows what they are doing alot more than me and knows how to look for all these can will please look.The Manayunk Pennsylvania couple said the municipal court put their 6 year old son in an orphanage.I assumed their son was taken away by DHS or child welfare? or someone.I don't know.There would also be a record of him through them and the orphanage and possibly the court house too.It's Philadelphia county right?


I was going to awhile ago put this boy in the box's picture on those websites for St John's orphanages you mentioned to see if anyone recognized him.But I did not know how they would respond or react to the dead boy's picture put on there.If they would be offended or not.So I decided not to put it.

 

[alliemay]

Is there somewhere on the site that has "contact" or "send e-mail"? Sometimes you can e-mail the person that runs the website. I would try that and ask if it is ok to add his picture to the site. Not sure.

 

[Rutt]

I wrote a 2nd email and sent it to the niece of the man who rented our row home back in the 1950's, and gave her more details of why my family thought these same renters (her uncle) may have had a connection to the boy. We had corresponded for about a year before I let her know my folks suspected a deceased boy in a famous case may have been connected to her uncle. She was convinced I was wrong, but she did get back to me and was willing to talk about it. She seems a bit POed with me now, but is trying to be patient and nice. Folks that are helping me feel it is worth checking in to more. I will keep you posted.

 

[Jmoose]

I have to admit that I was a little disheartened and gave up quickly after trying to call several people about doing the isotope testing, (several months ago). My pride was wounded when several calls were not returned. The last call I made was to a newspaper reporter. First he asked me in a demeaning manner who I was, I explained that I was an average citizen interested in trying to give this boy his name back and I wondered if this test had been done on him when he had been exhumed, I told him I wondered if the paper that he worked for could run a story on this to bring attention to this little boy. The next words out of this man's mouth was, in a demeaning tone were, "are you an expert in isotope testing"? Of course I said I was not, he then asked me what Isotope testing was, I explained it to him and in a huff he said to me "the whole idea is outlandish, so we are not running a story like that." I quickly said thank you for your time and hung up the phone, quite surprised at how rude this man was to me. So I guess what I need to do is put my pride on the shelf, add more time on my phone card because I don't have long distance, and find the time to keep calling people on my days off from my job.

Skeet, I am in awe of your persistence, and ability to follow through

 

[alliemay]

Skeet, I am in awe of your persistence, and ability to follow through

Thanks Jmoose you also have a lot to offer to websleuths, I enjoy reading your posts.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Please let me know if anyone finds out who this Manayunk Pennsylvania couple was and who that little boy put in that orphanage and what orphanage it was.I really would like to check with that boy to see if he is the boy in the box.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Well,I will say this if the Manayunk Pennsylvania couples son that was put in that orphanage is not the boy in the box I have a question if some one knows.

May I please ask if anyone knows. Was Welfare Commissioner Randolph Wise,only Philadelphia County? Were other surrounding counties checked with their orphanages,foster homes and institutions also.

The bassinet was bought in Delaware County.Can someone check records in that county and surrounding counties too.

Philadelphia orphan society.(I'm still not sure where all the places were located.One was in Wallingford.(Delaware County)

Another place was st Vincent's Drexel Hill was relocated to St Davids somewhere.(Delaware County)

There must be other places to check too.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

May I please ask if anyone knows if they going to do the isotope type testing on this little boy in the box to find out more about him and can anyone find out if they will do this testing for him and the status of his investigation and let us know.Hopefully other people are calling also.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

Does anyone know or can find out where most of the boxes that held a bassinet this little boy in the box was found in where were most of the boxes discarded at? What area?