Annual tribute to Joseph Augustus Zarelli
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Vidocq Society hosted its annual tribute to Joseph Augustus Zarelli. Until December of last year, he was known as the Boy in the Box.
This year's event was moved to Ivy Hill Cemetery at Zarelli's gravesite.
It was previously held on Susquehanna Road in Northeast Philadelphia where the 4-year-old's body was found on this date in 1957.
A former homicide detective talked about the years spent working on Zarelli's case.
"Towards the end of my career, we were able to come up with the idea of combining the DNA technology and put a plan together to help establish the boy's identity," retired Philadelphia Police Sergent Bob Kuhlmeier said, "and that plan ended up being successful. Here we are today, you know, with the boy's identity, Joseph Augustus Zarelli."
Zarelli's DNA helped police to identify him.
The Vidocq Society is a private, crime-solving club.
