Discovered on the side of Susquehanna Road, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 1957, the "Boy in the Box" also known as "the "America's Unknown Child" is an unidentified murder victim, a 4-to 6-year-old boy. The case of the boy in the box was one of Philadelphia’s most baffling murder cases, stumping police for over 60 years, and still, today, leaving hundreds of unanswered questions.
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| The Boy in the Box (Image credit: Wikipedia) |
One day, a man came into the woods on Susquehanna Road, Fox Chase, Philadelphia. The man intended to check the mousetrap he had installed there. However, he instead found a cardboard box containing the body of a small boy. Not wanting to interfere, he immediately left the corpse.
A few days later, Frederick Benonis came to the forest with intentions to hunt rabbit, he instead saw a cardboard box containing a corpse. He immediately left the forest. However, the next day, he reported his findings to the police. Benonis, a 27-year-old student at LaSalle College, told law enforcement he came across the boy when he was chasing a rabbit, but he didn't contact the authorities because he thought the body was a doll.
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| 1957 Missing Child Poster (Image credit: Wikipedia) |
Police Officers Elmer Palmer and Samuel Weinstein responded to investigate the Benonis' report. After identification, it was discovered that the corpse was a boy aged 4-6 years with a height of 1 meter and a weight of about 15 kg. The body was undressed and wrapped in a blanket.
Police estimate that the cause of death was a severe head injury. He was found naked, extensively beaten body was found. Apparently he have been cleaned and freshly groomed, with a recent haircut and trimmed fingernails, although he had suffered extensive physical abuse prior to his death, with multiple bruises on his body.
On February 26, 1957 the police took fingerprints and publicly announced the discovery of the body. People from 10 states were brought in to identify the boy's body. A newspaper called the Philadelphia Inquirer also helped distribute 400,000 leaflets about the poor corpse.
Unfortunately, no one claimed to recognize him. The case has not yet come to light.
A Philadelphia barber came forward shortly to say he was certain he'd cut the child's hair approximately one week prior to when police found the boy. The barber maintained the boy had come into his shop with his older brother and had left unharmed. The barber then directed authorities to an area called “Strawberry Mansion,” citing it as where the boy lived. Investigators followed the lead but made no further discovery.
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| The grave of the "America's Unknown Child" (Image credit: Wikipedia) |
He is buried in Potter's Field. However, in 1998 his tomb was dismantled for DNA samples to be taken. Finally, buried again in Ivy Hill Cemetery.
In February 2002, the police received information about the case from a woman with the initials M or "Martha". She said that in 1954 her mother "purchased" the boy from a family. According to Martha, her mother told her the boy's name was Jonathan and made him sleep in their dank and dirty basement.
Due to his temperamental nature, the mother often abused the child physically and sexually.
Until finally, one night the child was killed just for vomiting roasted peas. His head hit the floor until he died. After the child died, Martha said she accompanied her mother to get rid of the boy's body somewhere in the Fox Chase forest.
Martha's statement is actually in accordance with the findings of the police in the field. During the post-mortem, peas were found in the stomach of the corpse. In addition, his fingers were also shriveled up like someone who had just taken a bath. Unfortunately, the police cannot confirm the truth of Martha's statement because she has a mental disorder.
In addition, the police have also checked with Martha's neighbor who lived near Martha's house in the 1950s. However, they did not know that there was a boy living in Martha's house at that time.
Several other theories have been presented over the years, though all of them have eventually been discounted. It seems that the mystery of the boy in the box might never be solved.
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| (Image credit: Pinterest) |
There is a plaque on the 700 block of Susquehanna Road that marks the spot where the 'Boy in the Box' was found. The mystery of his death has been unsolved until now.
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