In 1957, the body of a young boy was found in a cardboard box on the edge of the woods in Philadelphia. He was malnourished, bruised, and alone—no name, no identity, and no one came forward to claim him. For over 60 years, the world would only know him as The Boy in the Box.
In this chilling episode of Macabre Mondays, Alejandra dives into the decades-old cold case, the haunting crime scene, strange clues like a discarded hat and a box traced to a baby bassinet, and the heartbreaking theories that surrounded the boy’s death. From psychics and secret foster homes to DNA breakthroughs and forensic genealogy, this is the story of how modern science finally gave this child a name: Joseph Augustus Zarelli.
Sources:
- Philadelphia Police Press Conference
- America’s Unknown Child Official Memorial Site
- NBC Philadelphia – In-depth article on the identification
- Philadelphia Inquirer – Coverage on Joseph Zarelli’s identity
- WHYY – Local media coverage
- Parabon NanoLabs – Forensic genealogy company used in this case
- Find a Grave – Joseph Augustus Zarelli memorial
- CBS News – Historical overview of the case
- Philadelphia Inquirer – Reburial and new headstone (Jan 2023)
- Buzzfeed Unsolved Episode
- Stuffed Memories Episode
- The Casual Criminalist Episode
What do you think happened to Joseph Augustus Zarelli? Share your thoughts with us @MacabreMondaysPodcast.
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Host
Alejandra Bendel
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