---
title: "The Boy in the Box: The Shocking Case of Joseph Augustus Zarelli"
description: "After 65 years, Philadelphia's most famous cold case victim finally has a name. Learn how DNA technology identified Joseph Augustus Zarelli and why his murder remains unsolved."
url: https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-boy-in-the-box-joseph-augustus-zarelli.md
canonical: https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-boy-in-the-box-joseph-augustus-zarelli
datePublished: 2026-06-26
dateModified: 2026-06-26
author:
  - name: Dana Ortiz
    url: https://casualcriminalist.pub/author/dana-ortiz
publisher: Casual Criminalist
image: "https://media.casualcriminalist.pub/cdn-cgi/image/width=1600,height=900,fit=cover,quality=80,format=auto/articles/MUT__A84yKo/hero.jpg"
type: Article
contentHash: 15adbfa0cb94b9a4759c1709b10ca8d9444015470484e176b21cb1feb20477cb
tokens: 44
summaryUrl: https://casualcriminalist.pub/article/the-boy-in-the-box-joseph-augustus-zarelli.md.summary.md
---

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After 65 years, Philadelphia's most famous cold case victim finally has a name. Learn how DNA technology identified Joseph Augustus Zarelli and why his murder remains unsolved.
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