Identified! PA - Philadelphia, 'Boy in the Box', WhtMale 4-6, 4UMPA, Feb'57 #2 - Joseph Augustus Zarelli

[milkymama]

I think it is interesting that there was a home for what was then termed the “feeble minded” in Delaware County, PA. In fact, it still exists, although modernized to current treatment standards and protocols. The females were likely sterilized against their will (assuming PA followed suit of other states during those times and practiced eugenics) eventually but until that occurred, could one of them have been raped while in the facility and the baby handed off to an “adopter”? Scanning through census records and death records for residents of this facility, I found at least one instance where the condition causing the “feeble mindedness” appeared to be genetic as multiple children in a family unit (not all of the children, but most of them) ended up in the institution for life. My long winded point being that, if a woman with a genetically inheritable condition was impregnated and forced to give up her child, that child may have been “feeble minded” as well. The chances are even higher if the father was another patient in the facility and also had a genetic condition. Just some thoughts I had as I was researching the Delaware Co, PA area and history.

Edited to fix typo

 

[airportwoman]

Our neighbors had a disabled child back in the fifties. I never heard of any complaints when he was out in public.

I waitressed at Perkins back in the 1980s, and I'll never forget when a couple came in with their teenage daughter, who was in a wheelchair with head blocks, because she couldn't hold her head up. They ordered things for themselves that they knew she would like, and fed her off their plate. In the meantime, an elderly couple sitting nearby kept saying, "That's sickening. That's disgraceful. People like that used to be put away" and I wanted to say to them, "She isn't bothering you. If you don't want to look at her, YOU leave."

My BFF's dad's youngest brother was born in the 1940s with Down syndrome, and everyone said, "Put him in an institution and tell everyone that he died." They said, "If he isn't going to live very long [very common at that time], that gives us yet another reason to take him home" and they did. Oh, yeah, they got some heat for it; my BFF's dad wanted to take a girl to prom but her parents wouldn't let her because "what if we have retards for grandchildren?" and that wasn't the only incident. He was the youngest of 9 kids, and after his dad died, his mother realized that she couldn't look after him herself and none of the other kids could take him in, so he went to a group home and lived there until he developed an Alzheimer's-like disorder that many people with Down's get in middle age. He died around the age of 50, having had a good life which is really the best thing parents can promise their children.

Those weren't the only incidents I could relate, but they were the first ones I thought of.

 

[LovesPeace2]

I think this is amazing ,I'm just starting to look into DNA to try to find family that is on our paternal side and it confuses the heck outta me on gedmatch

 

[Helechawagirl]

When is the announcement scheduled?

Thursday at 11 am

 

[Helechawagirl]

Why did police make this announcement only to have them not be ready to reveal anything? They shouldn’t have said anything until everything was in order.

Yea it’s weird to issue a news release to say you’re going to reveal the news…on the other hand, they’ve been working on this case for 65 years so I’m sure there’s a huge interest and a lot of people deserve recognition.

 

[Helechawagirl]

Police expected to name "The Boy in the Box" on Thursday

The identity of Philadelphia's "Boy in the Box" has been a mystery for years. But recently, DNA profiling was able to give investigators a name.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Helechawagirl]

Police expected to name "The Boy in the Box" on Thursday

The identity of Philadelphia's "Boy in the Box" has been a mystery for years. But recently, DNA profiling was able to give investigators a name.

www.cbsnews.com

Tomorrow at 11 a.m. say arrests are still possible.

 

[DFWNF]

I am so curious about this poor abused murdered little guy. <modsnip: rumor / no source link> If M was correct, none of us know yet, is her family the alleged prominent one, or is it the birth family? Doesn't matter to me, prominent or not means nothing to me, he deserved a safe, happy, loved long life. Or is the story deeper? Was he possibly the child of an unwed teen, and as far as I have been told, back then, it would not be uncommon for a young lady to be banished to a home for unwed girls to hide a pregnancy, and then be forced to relinquish her baby, then return home after a "visit to an aunt, or vacation" or whatever the bs story was, no baby, and no longer ever pregnant of course. Could the home, if there even was one, my imagination only, no facts, have sold this little guy? Could a family have had a "trusted" family lawyer involved in basically brokering and selling this little boy? And he landed in M's home? I am old, and there was a church home for unwed pregnant girls right next to a local hospital. I saw that home regularly as a kid. Just thinking about him

 

[Springrain]

I am so curious about this poor abused murdered little guy. <modsnip: no source link> If M was correct, none of us know yet, is her family the alleged prominent one, or is it the birth family? Doesn't matter to me, prominent or not means nothing to me, he deserved a safe, happy, loved long life. Or is the story deeper? Was he possibly the child of an unwed teen, and as far as I have been told, back then, it would not be uncommon for a young lady to be banished to a home for unwed girls to hide a pregnancy, and then be forced to relinquish her baby, then return home after a "visit to an aunt, or vacation" or whatever the bs story was, no baby, and no longer ever pregnant of course. Could the home, if there even was one, my imagination only, no facts, have sold this little guy? Could a family have had a "trusted" family lawyer involved in basically brokering and selling this little boy? And he landed in M's home? I am old, and there was a church home for unwed pregnant girls right next to a local hospital. I saw that home regularly as a kid. Just thinking about him

JMO, I have to wonder if both his mother and father's sides are "prominent". Could be the case as I mentioned upthread that M's uncle was his father as suggested by M and then his mother's side was also prominent. I'm just theorizing here.

Is the 11 AM EST? Would that be 8 AM PST?

 

[DFWNF]

JMO, I have to wonder if both his mother and father's sides are "prominent". Could be the case as I mentioned upthread that M's uncle was his father as suggested by M and then his mother's side was also prominent. I'm just theorizing here.

Is the 11 AM EST? Would that be 8 AM PST?

I wonder too. <modsnip: no source link> Heartbreaking case.

 

[coco]

Thursday at 11 am

I’m currently in the land down under and I will be either staying awake or setting my alarm to wake up at this time, I’m literally champing at the bit to find out this little ones name

 

[iamshadow21]

I’m currently in the land down under and I will be either staying awake or setting my alarm to wake up at this time, I’m literally champing at the bit to find out this little ones name

I'm Aussie, too, if you work out when it is for us, let me know. I'm East coast, daylight savings time.

 

[HMSHood]

Some sense of closure.

 

[HmmMysterious]

JMO, I have to wonder if both his mother and father's sides are "prominent". Could be the case as I mentioned upthread that M's uncle was his father as suggested by M and then his mother's side was also prominent. I'm just theorizing here.

Is the 11 AM EST? Would that be 8 AM PST?

Yeah 11 AM on the East Coast is 8 AM PST.

 

[alucardsdream]

I'm Aussie, too, if you work out when it is for us, let me know. I'm East coast, daylight savings time.

I'm in Philly...if it helps, the press conference is scheduled for 12 hours and 10 minutes from now. (It's 10:50 pm here right now.)

 

[strawberry]

Police expected to name "The Boy in the Box" on Thursday

The identity of Philadelphia's "Boy in the Box" has been a mystery for years. But recently, DNA profiling was able to give investigators a name.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[iamshadow21]

I'm in Philly...if it helps, the press conference is scheduled for 12 hours and 10 minutes from now. (It's 10:50 pm here right now.)

Ugh... I should be asleep by then. It'll be 3am for me... I only just got my sleep back to nights, rather than days. Thank you. I may or may not be here for the reveal. I suspect it'll depend if I'm too excited to sleep.

 

[MadMcGoo]

I think it’s important to remember this poor child was murdered. He wasn’t simply forgotten about and left for dead. This was a deliberate act. I hope his killer(s) can be brought to justice now.

4UMPA

 

[Springrain]

I sure hope so too, but unfortunately I think whoever did it is long gone, and won't face justice. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[squish]

I'm in Philly...if it helps, the press conference is scheduled for 12 hours and 10 minutes from now. (It's 10:50 pm here right now.)

Thanks. It will be 4pm UK time for me.