1957 – Historic Horrors

UPDATE: On December 8, 2022, police announced they have identified “the boy in the box,” as Joseph Augustus Zarelli. More details at the end of this post.

“The boy in the box,” is one of the most heartbreaking unsolved murder cases in the United States. A beaten and bruised child left in a cardboard box among the trash of a dumping ground. The boy’s age had been between three and seven years old. Due to the child being malnourished, it was difficult to determine a more exact age.

Now, over 65 years later, the case remains unsolved. The boy’s identity and who murdered him are still unknown. We will delve into the location that he was found, how he was found, and theories about who he may have been. Please be aware that this post contains post-mortem photos, which may be upsetting to some.

This is the story of “America’s unknown child.”

the boy in the box facial reconstruction — “The boy in the box” facial reconstruction

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It was late on Halloween night of 1957 in Los Angeles. Beauty shop owner, Peter Fabiano and his wife, Betty were turning out all the lights in their home to go to bed for the night when their doorbell rang. Mr. Fabiano went downstairs to answer the door, thinking it was a late trick-or-treater. Mrs. Fabiano, still upstairs, heard her husband ask “Isn’t it late for this sort of thing?” There was a muffled reply followed by a loud pop and then a thump. As Betty ran downstairs she heard the squeal of tires on pavement as a vehicle sped off. She found her husband sprawled on the floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest. Mrs. Fabiano called for help, but unfortunately her husband died on the way to the hospital.

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