For decades we have heard about the “boy in the box”. Today we learned his name: Joseph Augustus Zarelli. If I have it straight from watching the press conference, he lived in West Philadelphia.

Philadelphia police identify victim in city’s oldest unsolved homicide case

Apparently both parents are now deceased. They are not talking about the family. I would guess this is very hard information for relatives of the families of his birth mother and birth father to deal with.

I am not going to speculate. This was a little boy who died and was dumped in a box. I am guessing it will all come out now eventually.

I did record some of the press conference. It was fascinating and sad all at the same time. Think of all of the police and others who have worked on this case for decades. Just wow. Sounds like someone’s DNA from some site like Ancestry may have helped crack this open?

NBC10: After 65 Years, Philadelphia Police Identify ‘Boy in the Box’

The media is all over this, and I recorded parts of the news conference off of NBC10. We may never know about whatever hell little Joseph experienced or why he was put in a box. I still just can’t believe no one ever missed him?

Philadelphia Inquirer: Police identify the ‘Boy in the Box’ from notorious 1957 homicide after breakthrough in forensic genealogy. Police say they were finally able to identify the child as Joseph Augustus Zarelli through detective work and DNA analysis.

So now we can say his name. He isn’t just “the boy in the box.” Now that he has a name, is there anyone alive any longer who actually knew of his existence? I am guessing any family tied to his DNA are probably shocked as well? The 1950s was a different world, after all. I hope any surviving family are able to help, and I hope they aren’t traumatized by this news.

I would say “stay tuned” at this point because I am sure now that we know his name, we will eventually hear more.