(RightIsRight.co) – US authorities have finally managed to establish the true identity of the child murder victim known as Philadelphia’s “boy in the box” 65 years after his body was found.
The naked body of a child aged between 3 and 7, with multiple scars and bruises, was discovered wrapped in a blanket in 1957.
The corpse had been tossed on the side of Susquehanna Road in a wooded area of the Fox Chase neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The victim in the long-time mystery case has now been identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli, who was four years old when he was killed, Philadelphia’s police department announced, as cited by Fox News.
During a press conference on Thursday, Captain Jason Smith announced the new development in the decades-old cold case.
He said the police would not publicly identify the boy’s parents “out of respect” for his still-alive siblings.
According to the authorities, however, both of Zarelli’s parents have passed away.
Smith clarified that the Philadelphia police have “suspicions” but no certainty about who murdered the 4-year-old Zarelli 65 years ago.
As the homicide is still an active investigation, they would not reveal their suspects to the public. No one has ever claimed the child’s body.
“[The victim] experienced horrors that no one, no one should ever be subjected to,” declared police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
The Philadelphia police officers made it clear they might never identify or arrest a suspect for the murder of Joseph Zarelli, whose death was caused by blunt force trauma. However, they said they would still try to complete the investigation.
Many law, medical, and other experts have worked on the Zarelli murder case over the decades.
The investigators said Zarelli’s birth certificate was discovered after they identified his birth mother.
The child’s biological father was listed on the certificate, and the police got in touch with the boy’s relatives on the paternal side.
Joseph Zarelli was born on January 13, 1953, but he was never issued a social security number.
The police authorities hope the technology they used to discover Zarelli’s identity would help them solve other crimes.
Philadelphia 'Boy in the Box' identified 65 years after body found beaten, wrapped in blanket https://t.co/P4a608qNTA
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 8, 2022
