America's unknown child:the boy in the box

[megadongirl]

An unidentified Caucasian male, probable age 4 to 6 years, whose nude body, wrapped in a cheap flannel blanket, was found lying face up inside a large cardboard carton just a few feet from the edge of Susquehanna Road . The body was dry and clean. The boy's arms were carefully folded across his stomach. The finger and toenails had been recently trimmed short and neat. The child was 40 1/2 inches tall and weighed 30 pounds. He had blue eyes, pale skin, and appeared malnourished. His hair was described as medium to light brown, or blond in color. It had been cut recently - very close to the head, in a crude, hurried way, perhaps as a deliberate attempt to conceal the child's identity. Small clumps of cut hair clung to his entire body, suggesting that someone had groomed him while he was unclothed, probably either shortly before or immediately after death.

There were many bruises all over the child's body; particularly on the head and face. All of the bruises appeared to have been inflicted at the same time. There were also seven scars on the body, three of which could have resulted from surgical procedures. Two of these "surgical" scars were on the chest and groin. They had healed quite well, leaving only a hair-line trace. There was also a scar on the boy's left ankle, which looked like a "cut-down" incision. Such an incision is made to expose a vein so that a needle may be inserted to give an infusion or transfusion. There was a 1 1/2 - inch scar on the left side of the chest, and a round, irregular scar on the left elbow. On the chin was an L-shaped scar - a quarter of an inch long in each direction. There was no vaccination scar. The boy had been circumcised. http://americasunknownchild.net/

http://www.facebook.com/groups/120018670571/

[libstaK]

I don't get it, the boy had various surgical scars on his body - yet the link does not suggest they canvassed the hospitals/nurses/medical profession. He must have a medical history and therefore a medical file somewhere in the region ... this seems like a pretty blatant oversight on the investigators part, or at least an amazing oversight not to mention it on their link?

[megadongirl]

I don't get it, the boy had various surgical scars on his body - yet the link does not suggest they canvassed the hospitals/nurses/medical profession. He must have a medical history and therefore a medical file somewhere in the region ... this seems like a pretty blatant oversight on the investigators part, or at least an amazing oversight not to mention it on their link?

Actually they did. They even went through hospital footprints of babies to ID him. Listen here for more: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/44022/2012/07/21/boy-in-the-box-americas-unknown-child

[libstaK]

Wow, I can't believe they didn't get a hit, especially with the surgical scars. It is a true mystery.

[Kazoo]

Illegal human experimentation is my first thought.

Has anyone considered the fact that he is not american and we can't find any records because he is from a different country?

[megadongirl]

The thought that he could be foreign has been looked into. Police even tracked down a Hungarian immigrant boy who they suspected from pictures looked like him. He was alive and well.

[+and-then]

Of all the evils in this world the most heart breaking has to be the abuse of innocents who cannot protect themselves. I couldn't bear to see an animal treated the way this boy obviously was.....

[megadongirl]

My Facebook group for him: http://www.facebook.com/groups/120018670571/

[Viviana98]

This is such a horrible story... I think he's an American and I don't think he's a human experiment. I don't know why but I think he probably just came from a very poor and large family who probably lived out in the middle of nowhere and the parents never took any of their kids to the Dr.'s or hospital. Probably a middle child who got left out alot but blamed for everything. I really don't know why and I'm sure I'm probably way off but as soon as I seen the picture and read this story that's just what I invisioned for some reason. I think he has brothers and/or sisters out there that know but have like pushed all the memory of it so deep down its almost as if they don't know. And like I said I'm probably so far off base but it's just what my 1st thought and gut says. Poor baby...I hate stories like these.

[supervike]

I remember this story from a while back. It is so horribly sad, a precious little human thrown away like so much trash.

[CuriousLittleOne]

i have read so much into this case, this poor little boy. surely he could have been adopted, if my child went missing i would know they were missing and find them.

[docyabut2]

Poor little boy, the child must have been born in a hospital to be circumised.The surgical scars may not be surgical scars,but the abuse that was put on him in his few years.Only a mother would clean him up as in cutting the nails and hair.Can`t they determine his exact age to a birthday and check the hospitals.Did they keep his DNA from the crime.The hospitals take a blood test right away of a infant just borned.

[MacsMom]

I truly hate stories like this. Almost seems as if, perhaps, the father was responsible for the bruises and possible death. The mother, powerless to stop the abuse, did what she could for the little boy to "care for him" prior to his "burial". And I agree that the scars may not have been from surgeries in a hospital, as there were some fairly skilled midwives and backwoods doctors serving poor areas. I, too, get the feeling he was from a poor family who didn't have the resources or desire to care for him.

[CuriousLittleOne]

it creeps me out that they took photos of him dressed and posed "as he would appear in life"

it reminds me a lot of baby hope

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/50ufny.html

The child was located in a park bordering the southbound lane of the Henry Hudson Parkway, near the Dyckman Street exit just north of the George Washington Bridge in the upper Manhattan area.

She was wrapped in a black plastic garbage bag and stuffed in a blue 30-quart Igloo ice cooler. Police believe she would have possibly been dumped no earlier then July 18th with 10 days added as an error margin.

She had been asphyxiated and there was evidence of sexual abuse.

The cooler was located in a patch of woods on an embankment sloping down at a 45-degree angle from the highway to the Hudson River.

The child was in a crouched position with her head resting on her knees. There were no signs of bruises or wounds. She was bound with a medium-weight ligature which was half rope and half venetian-blind cord. She was placed into the cooler just shortly after death.

[+susieice]

I wonder about these surgical scars also as the cause of death was said to be beating and there is no indication of disease or malformation listed in the description of the child. I would think the coroner would have noticed signs of illness that would require all the IV treatments. It's always such a sad story when a child is found seemingly uncared for, but it sounds like someone tried to do something nice for him after his death. Could be all the care they could afford.

Chances of finding someone who can identify him after all this time is unlikely, but it's good to know officials haven't completely given up. DNA may not help as there was no database at the time of this boy's birth. I was born north of Philadelphia at about this time and I know the hospital took my thumbprint and footprint. They are on my hospital issued birth certificate. (I don't think they do this anymore. All BC are state issued now). If the hospital has those records yet, they may be of some help in finding the identity of this little boy.

[CuriousLittleOne]

i always work better with pictures and have become numb to the images i have seen

the boys father is "most likely" supposed to look like this.

There are several reasons why Bender believes the boy was being raised as a girl. The medical examiner at the time noted that the boy's hair was hastily cut with strands still clinging to his torso. But Bender notes something else: his eyebrows looked like they were plucked. So Bender, who has an 85% clearance rate in helping authorities solve homicides, decided to draw a sketch. A sketch of what this child may have looked like if he was being raised as a girl. Bender is co-founder of the Vidocq Society. A book on his life's accomplishments has just been released by Random House. His colleagues say his theory is not out of the realm of possibilities. "I've been friends with frank for 30 years. Never discount his intuition and his inner sight," said Vidocq Society commissioner Bill Fleisher.

I have a new theroy I'm looking at.Can they draw a picture of what the little boy in the box mother may looked like.I'm thinking the boy in the box and his mother may have been missing together?

someone has fiddled around a bit and made an estimated guess at the mother if this little boy's appearance.

Edited July 29, 2013 by CuriousLittleOne

[Eldorado]

Here's a nice wee read for anyone interested in the case;

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/mystery-dead-boy-box-baffles-nation-article-1.1898191