Joseph Zarelli Obituary, Death – Joseph Augustus Zarelli has been recognized as “The Boy in the Box,” according to a statement released by the Philadelphia Police Department on Thursday. The revelation of Zarelli’s name by the police on Thursday not only shed new light on a riddle that has baffled the country and detectives for years, but it also provided answers to inquiries about his identity that date back more than three decades. Danielle Outlaw, Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner, stated that the case was the city’s longest-running unsolved homicide.
Outlaw stated that “no one ever came forward to claim the child,” despite the fact that a large number of law enforcement personnel, detectives, geneticists, and medical professionals worked on the case that “haunted” the city and the entire world.
“His entire identity as well as his lawful claim to own his existence was stripped away,” said Outlaw. “He had no control over what happened to him.” She went on to say that she had a wish that no one would ever have to wait this long for justice again, and she paid tribute to the detectives who had worked on the case but were not around to see this turn of events.
“This announcement only brings this little boy’s story to a close on one page while simultaneously turning the page on another,” added Outlaw. DNA analysis led the authorities to the conclusion that the youngster was who they thought he was. The inquiry was followed carefully by CBS3, and the station has continued to discuss the topic both on-air and online. The news that the youngster had been ultimately identified by the authorities was initially reported by CBS3 Investigations a week ago.
The police stated that they had a number of hypotheses as to who was responsible for Zarelli’s passing; however, they did not have any information regarding suspects to divulge at this time.
According to the authorities, Zarelli does have living relatives. William Fleisher, a member of the Vidocq Society who assisted in the investigation of the case, remarked that “many of these men and women aren’t with us anymore,” yet he claimed that he could still feel their presence in the room. Capt. Jason Smith of the Philadelphia Police Department stated that investigators had a strong suspicion that Zarelli was a resident of West Philadelphia, specifically the area around 61st and Market streets and that she was never reported missing. He has not given up hope that Zarelli is still alive and that someone who knew him is out there who may have seen him. Smith posited the possibility that it was a nearby resident.