Joseph Augustus Zarelli
#120,755 Most Popular
About
Best known as the "Boy in the Box" and "America's Unknown Child." His extensively beaten body was found on the side of Susquehanna Road, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 25, 1957.
Before Fame
He was found to be malnourished.
Trivia
On November 30, 2022, the Philadelphia Police Department announced that detectives had determined the boy's identity using DNA and genealogical databases.
Family Life
There were initially two theories about where he may have came from. The first was that he was from a foster home and the other theory was that he was related to a woman named Martha. It was later reported on by the Inquirer that his parents were named Augustus J. "Gus" Zarelli and Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Abel.
Associated With
YouTubers like Gabby Valente and Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara for Buzzfeed Unsolved have made videos about him.