Identified! PA - Philadelphia - 'Boy in the Box' - 4UMPA - Feb'57 #3 - Joseph Augustus Zarelli

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It is possible, if baptized. Some priest will not baptized illegitimate children, even today.

The local parish was St. Donato, which closed in 2013. Our Lady of Lourdes has the records.

I'm currently watching a video on the history of St Donato (with local commentary and photos/videos from the past) rather interesting although it was recorded some time ago. It appears the church was really thriving in the mid-50's.
 
The Temple University Library in Philly has archives of foster care cases during the time of Joseph's life. I have info needed to be able to look through them, but you have to place a request and go study them in person. They will pull the boxes you request and set you up in the reading room. Only problem - I'm in Minnesota. If anyone local there wants the info, let me know!
 
I'm currently watching a video on the history of St Donato (with local commentary and photos/videos from the past) rather interesting although it was recorded some time ago. It appears the church was really thriving in the mid-50's.
I just watched it. The guy who talked about being the first Italian on the block was referring to the same block.
 
I'm referencing a similar case that was also a 2022 ID just for some incite to all the speculation and discussion about Joseph's last name and possible siblings. Derek and David D'Alton were also recently identified and there was a cliff hanger in that case as well since the killer is not verified and most who would know or could have seen something are most likely all deceased by now. Their case happened a decade prior to Joseph's. In their case they previously had the last name Bousquet, their mother's maiden name. LE do not know where D'Alton came from and noted their mother had used several different last names. Also of note, they had a older sibling that lived and continued to live with their mother after their sudden disappearance. The older sister that was spared was told the boys were taken away to a ministry due to her not being able to care for them. The mother also did not know the father's of any of her three children, and allegedly per several news articles, worked as a prostitute. Since it is known that Joseph had siblings, if they did actually know each other could they have been told a similar story to explain his sudden absence? Of note also, I bring their case up to give example to how last names may not particularly lead to the obvious since these boys father's weren't known and they lived with two different last names in their short lives, one that Mom could have even made up. Also in their case LE chose to withhold the Mother's name but it was unintentionally leaked due to sleuthing. There is no definitive proof she was the perpetrator, only speculations, but she was still doxed severally and she has been deceased for over 20 years. I just felt terrible for her living relatives reading these awful things about their grandmother and great-grandmother. I agree with 'innocent until proven guilty' in these instances. Since we do not know Joseph's killer unless they absolutely officially release it we should respect the family. We do not know anything unless it is released and keep speculating at a respectful level.
I had a aunt who was married 5 times and 6 kids some not all same dad they knew the dads but I’m also just saying I agree with your comment you just never know what happened or even if the dad knew maybe just maybe the dad had no idea that little Joseph was ever around so maybe none had the same dad and or whatever
 
I am so confused. lol Anyone please explain who M is. Pretty please.
 
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I had a aunt who was married 5 times and 6 kids some not all same dad they knew the dads but I’m also just saying I agree with your comment you just never know what happened or even if the dad knew maybe just maybe the dad had no idea that little Joseph was ever around so maybe none had the same dad and or whatever
My ex bf's mum gave her two youngest her first husband's last name because she didn't like the the sound of their father's last name. She wasn't married to those children's father and kept her name after her divorce from her first husband.
 
My ex bf's mum gave her two youngest her first husband's last name because she didn't like the the sound of their father's last name. She wasn't married to those children's father and kept her name after her divorce from her first husband.
My husband's mother did the same.
 
I was looking at theories on the Americas unknown child site and someone mentioned the abuser may have faked a disorder Factitious disorder imposed on another - Wikipedia

So another possible theory is that the abuser faked a disorder like osteogenesis and pressured for surgeries & treatment

I have some knowledge of Factitious disorder imposed on another aka Munchausen by proxy. I am familiar with cases of this disorder involving a mother and child. I do not think this will be the case for Joseph as the parent seeks attention from the imposed illnesses on the child. Joseph would have been recognized after his death. It can be difficult to prove even today.
 
I have some knowledge of Factitious disorder imposed on another aka Munchausen by proxy. I am familiar with cases of this disorder involving a mother and child. I do not think this will be the case for Joseph as the parent seeks attention from the imposed illnesses on the child. Joseph would have been recognized after his death. It can be difficult to prove even today.
Agreed. A kid enduring that kind of child abuse is continually dragged to hospitals and doctors. His medical history would be very long, and local doctors would have known him as a frequent flyer.

Apart from circumcision and possibly something like a routine hernia op as a small infant, it doesn't seem Joseph had any kind of medical care. I've read on here that he didn't have a vaccination scar, which suggests he didn't even have a paediatrician.

MOO
 
Agreed. A kid enduring that kind of child abuse is continually dragged to hospitals and doctors. His medical history would be very long, and local doctors would have known him as a frequent flyer.

Apart from circumcision and possibly something like a routine hernia op as a small infant, it doesn't seem Joseph had any kind of medical care. I've read on here that he didn't have a vaccination scar, which suggests he didn't even have a paediatrician.

MOO
MOO: It's a bit of an engima. He did have some basic surgery and possibly a chest tube. But maybe he got them when he was very young. I know my brother (born in 1961) got his smallpox vaccine at 9 months or so. (Maybe 1 year) If he had a chest tube, it kinda reinforces my belief that he may have been premature. Back then, it could result in developmental delays and cerebral palsy. MOO It also could result in blindness. (Stevie Wonder)

I have a large scar, however I don't know when I got my vaccine and don't know what the schedule was: I was born in late 1956, so I may have gotten my vaccine earlier.


As an aside: If he was born premature, it should be on his birth certificate!
 
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I noticed that folks deeply involved in the case, presumably with a great deal more information than the general public/media have, seem to have ideas about who murdered JAZ.

Specifically, in the press conference, the LE representative said:

“The second question is obviously going to be, 'Do we know who was responsible for Joseph’s death?' The answer at this time is, unfortunately, no. We have our suspicions as to who may be responsible, but it would be irresponsible of me to share these suspicions as this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation.”

This was followed up by the following exchange:

“Reporter - Is there any evidence or a theory (inaudible)?

Captain - I mean, the theory would be common sense, was far away from their house, at that point in time, that area of Fox Chase was pretty rural.”

And on Gray Hughes’ show, Misty Gillis, the DNA scientist who identified JAZ said:

“Then when I found out the press conference was coming up I cried for another three days straight because… It’s like, he’s been my secret for so long. I’ve known who he was and I’ve like come to terms with his death, and I came to terms the the story that I believe happened to him.”

So, MOO, the people who know the most have persons of interest. It would be easy for them to say, “Given the passage of many decades, we just have no idea who might be responsible, so please send tips.” But instead, they have stated they have theories. Because of the enormous amount of time passed, destruction of records and evidence, and death of witnesses, these persons of interest would have to be on record somehow as being associated with the case, the birth parents/family, or JAZ himself. At this point, it seems strangers, local sex offenders, etc. would be lost to time and there would have been a missing report from someone. Brainstorming, I can think of:
  1. They suspect M’s story is true.
  2. Caregivers on some record we don’t know about: adoptive parents (including possibly extended family members), nuns/clergy associated with the “wayward girls” home, mom’s boyfriend/husband.
Curious if you all agree that it sounds like someone is on investigators’ radar, and who I might be missing as potential persons of interest.
M apparently had mental illness but that would make sense if the home life was so abusive. She seemed to know of the baked beans he vomited and also about the man pulling up near them in his vehicle when they dumped Joseph body. She even explained that they were covering the number plate of the car just as the man had described. I guess it will be too late now to DNA the home I guess it wouldn't even be there anymore where M and her mother stayed. Do they still have the psychiatrist report I wonder?
 
Yes only found in one eye.
<modsnip - off topic>

If the blue dye was commonly used for other ailments What if his abuser to put the dye in his eye to cover up trauma after he passed? I believe it was only found in one eye.
Only
 
M did mention the hiding of the number plate on the car when the man pulled over and they were hiding the body in the boot of the car. This confirms the man's story to police that he thought it suspicious
It is entirely possible that Martha's memories emerged over time, over years. It's entirely possible she didn't have more than a feeling something might have happened to another child to begin with, back in 1989. Not enough for either her or her therapist to report. When her memories became more solid, clearer, with enough detail to be firm about, then would be the time to approach authorities.

People have a lot of ideas about the way memory works, a lot of it oversimplified, or just plain wrong. The fact is, people can and often do forget child abuse. They go on to have productive, healthy lives, and then, something happens. A parent dies, they give birth to a child, they get divorced, they visit their hometown for the first time in years, and the first chink appears in the wall. It can feel like the end of the world, and sometimes it takes a very long time to make any kind of sense of it all.

That doesn't mean Martha was or wasn't truthful, that her memories were artificial or fantasy, or that her therapist failed in his reporting duty somehow. It just means that memory is complicated, especially where childhood trauma is concerned. I think that Martha and her therapist were trying to help. Whether it turns out she was connected to this case or not remains to be seen, but I think the interval between the first time it came up in therapy and when it was reported is less likely to be any kind of negligence on the part of either Martha or her therapist and more likely to be related to how her memories emerged and when they came into focus.

My opinion only.
D
 
The police are not naming the biological parents. We need to stop doing that. The world is very weird now and this can lead to people being doxxed. It is potentially harmful speculation.
I have personally let go of the M story. She is deceased, the police investigated her story and couldn’t prove any of it. Baked beans are not confirmed in the autopsy report. It is not out of the question that something like that (adoption, formal or informal, followed by abuse) happened, though.
Let’s deal in facts. No Counselor Troi or Colonel Mustard stuff please.
If law enforcement does not share more, we may have to be content that he has his name back.

Did anyone notice that it looks like they had left room for his name on his grave marker?
 
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