Authorities worked for decades to identify the young boy after he was found covered in a blanket inside a cardboard box in northeast Philadelphia.
Officials twice exhumed Joseph’s remains — once in 1998 and again in 2019 — to get the DNA used to establish his identity using forensic genetic genealogy.
Smith said authorities were able to identify Joseph’s birth mother and obtained the DNA samples needed to confirm her relationship with Joseph. Officials were also able to confirm the identity of Joseph’s birth father. “We have our suspicions as to who may be responsible, but it would be irresponsible of me to share these suspicions, as this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation,” he said.Police confirmed that, with the use of new science and technology, the child was identified as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli.
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