Philadelphia Police Baffled By Boy In The Box Cold Case

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The Boy in the Box, who's body was found in a rural suburb of Philadelphia on February 25, 1957, was given a proper burial and tombstone, reading "Heavenly Father, Bless This Unknown Boy."

On February 25, 1957, the body of a murdered boy was found in a cardboard box in the wooded Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pa. The boy, who was approximately 4 to 6 years old, was naked and had been beaten to death. To this day, his identity has remained one of the most baffling, mysterious cases worked by the Philadelphia P.D. and the Vidocq Society, a group of retired policemen and profilers investigating the crime.

The Boy in the Box, as he is better known, immediately became a national story. The police actually clothed the boy's body and took photos in order to create posters with his images. The posters were prominently displayed throughout Philadelphia and sent to police departments around the country. Although there have been thousands of leads and numerous suspects, they have all been cleared. Investigators have little to go on except for physical evidence.

Many Clues Have Been Answered

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The Boy in the Box was found in one of twelve boxes that orignally contained bassnets and were shipped to a J.C. Penny store in Upper Darby, Pa.

The box originally contained a bassinet from the J.C. Penny Company. It had been shipped to a store in Upper Darby, Pa. It was one of twelve, but detectives no longer believe the boy was connected to the store or the purchaser of the bassinet.

Investigators also found a blue corduroy hat near the box. The hat was traced to a store in South Philadelphia. A man who sold the cap remembers the buyer was a young man around 25 years old. But that was all he could remember.

The blanket found in the box with the child was tracked to a textile plant in N.C. The blanket had been cut in half and a small square had been cut from one corner. The blanket had also been mended with poor-grade cotton thread on a home sewing machine.

The boy’s right hand and right foot showed washer-woman effect, meaning they had been immersed in water prior to death. There was no evidence of any vaccinations, suggesting the child was of pre-school age. However, he had scars on his groin and ankle area indicating he had received medical treatment prior to his death.

Investigators also tracked down all the reports of missing children around that time and they have not been able to connect any to the child. This indicates the child was never reported missing so investigators believe he belonged to a large family, a foster home, or to a transient or rural family.

One of the strongest theories is the child may have been abused and his death was not intentional. Investigators believe the child’s family may have then dumped the body, and never reported him missing out of fear they would be charged with murder.

Retired Investigators Lend A Hand

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This bust, depicting what the Boy in the Box's father might have looked like, was created by the Vidocq Society.

As the case of the Boy in the Box moves further into history, investigators are concerned that anyone who may have knowledge of how he died may take it to the grave with them.

The case was reopened in 1998, more than 40 years after it began, in part because of America’s Most Wanted’s profile of the Vidocq Society. The Vidocq Society is a crime-solving organization made up of retired investigators who independently investigate cold cases. They have been very actively investigating The Boy in the Box case. After AMW's segment aired, the hotline received hundreds of tips -- some of them so strong that the Philadelphia P.D. exhumed the boy’s body to extract tissue samples for DNA analysis.

Today the case is still open and the boy's identity remains a mystery.