Boy in the Box (Philadelphia)
The "Boy in the Box" is the name given to Joseph Augustus Zarelli, a four-year-old murder victim, whose naked, abused body was found in a cardboard box in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 25, 1957. He is also commonly known as "America's Unknown Child." In December 2022, the boy was publicly identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli.
"The Boy in the Box" | |
|---|---|
| 200px 1957 poster | |
| Born | January 13, 1953 |
| Died | February 25, 1957 (aged 4) |
| Cause of death | Homicide by blunt force trauma |
| Body discovered | February 25, 1957 Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Resting place | Ivy Hill Cemetery, Cedarbrook, Philadelphia |
| Other names | "America's Unknown Child" |
| Known for | formerly unidentified victim of homicide |
| Height | 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) |
Boy In The Box (Philadelphia) Media
- America's Unknown Child box.jpg
Crime scene where the body was found
- Boy in the Box legs.jpg
Zarelli's legs showing signs of severe bruising, malnutrition and scarring
Forensic facial reconstruction by Carl Koppelman showing what Zarelli may have looked like when he was alive
- Boy in the Box memorial sign.jpg
Memorial sign near the location where the body was found on the side of Susquehanna Road. The sign was erected five years before Zarelli's identification.
- Boy in the Box grave memorial Ivy Hill.jpg
Joseph Augustus Zarelli's grave at Ivy Hill Cemetery, August 2022
