'Boy in the Box' Joseph Augustus Zarelli Has Living Siblings 60 Years Later

Philadelphia police identified the "Boy in the Box" as Joseph Augustus Zarelli on Thursday, putting a name to a child whose identity had been unknown since his body was discovered in February 1957.

Police said during a Thursday morning press conference that they will not be identifying the boy's parents at this time out of respect for Zarelli's siblings, some of whom are still alive.

At the time Zarelli's body was found, his age was estimated to be between 4 and 6, police said Thursday. Police have now confirmed that Zarelli was born on January 13, 1953. He lived until he was just over 4 years old, authorities said.

Zarelli's body was first located on February 26, 1957, inside a box in a wooded area in northeastern Philadelphia, police said.

"The boy appeared to be malnourished, and his body bore the signs of recent and past trauma," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. "In his very short life, it was apparent that this child experienced horrors that no one, no one, should ever be subjected to."

Outlaw said authorities asked for help from the public to identify the boy but that "no one ever came forward to claim the child." The case has become one of the city's oldest unsolved homicides.

"For 65 years, the story of who would come to be known as 'America's unknown child' has haunted this community, the Philadelphia Police Department, our nation and the world," she said.

Several investigators have handled Zarelli's case over the years, and some passed away before they could see the child identified, Outlaw said. The case remains an "active homicide investigation," she said, and police are hoping that a new wave of tips will begin to roll in now that Zarelli has been identified.

DNA testing has been performed in this case in the past but did not return conclusive results. Authorities said they received an official court order to exhume Zarelli's body again in April 2019, at which time forensic experts were able to get enough DNA to apply new technology and identify him from there.

Philadelphia Homicide Captain Jason Smith said they were then able to find Zarelli's birth certificate. Police have identified the boy's birth parents, but Smith said they do not currently plan to release those individuals' names.

"At this point in time, we are not going to be releasing that information. Joseph has a number of siblings of both the mother and father's side who are living, and it is out of respect for them that their parents' information remain confidential," Smith said.

Police do not know at this time who was responsible for Zarelli's death, Smith said.

Philadelphia police told Newsweek they will be releasing a photo of Zarelli later Thursday.

This story has been updated with additional information.