Boy in the Box (Philadelphia)

The "Boy in the Box" is the name given to Joseph Augustus Zarelli, a four-year-old murder victim, whose naked, abused body was found in a cardboard box in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 25, 1957. He is also commonly known as "America's Unknown Child." In December 2022, the boy was publicly identified as Joseph Augustus Zarelli.

"The Boy in the Box"
1957 poster
Born	Approx. 1950 - 1953
Died	February 1957 (aged 3-7)
Cause of death	Homicide by blunt force trauma
Body discovered	February 25, 1957 Fox Chase, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Resting place	Ivy Hill Cemetery, Cedarbrook, Philadelphia
Other names	"America's Unknown Child"
Known for	formerly unidentified victim of homicide
Height	3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)