Historic marker placed for boy found in box 6 decades ago in Philadelphia

FOX CHASE (WPVI) -- It is one of the highest-profile unsolved-mysteries in Philadelphia history.

The body of a little boy was found in a box on the side of Susquehanna Road in Fox Chase in 1957. His remains have never been identified.

But the case is gaining renewed interest courtesy of a local boy scout.

A historic marker about the 'Boy in the Box' was created thanks to Eagle Scout Nicholas Kerschbaum of Troop 522 in Wilmington

"Four to six-years-old, his life was taken and it shouldn't happen like that," Kerschbaum said.

Kerschbaum needed an Eagle Scout service project.

He could have picked anything, but became familiar with the case of what's now known as "America's Unknown Child" through his father, a former Philadelphia police officer.

"He tossed me the idea and I looked into it, reading about the boy himself," Kershbaum said.

It was back in 1957, two Philadelphia officers responded to a call of a body in a box.

The case was never solved.

Kerschbaum hopes the marker will somehow bring new leads in the 60-year-old case.

"In the small, small possibility someone could be walking by and maybe in the back of their mind go 'I remember something,'" he said.

Funds for the marker were made by the Vidocq Society. They are a group of forensic experts who try to piece together cold cases, just like this one.

Bill Fleisher, the founder of the Vidocq Society, thinks this case could make major progress in the near future through DNA.

"We've been comparing against many suspected relatives," Fleisher said.

He vows his group will never stop working on trying to find out who could commit such a disturbing crime.

"In my view, he wasn't beaten to death. I think he was abused and neglected to the point his little flame went out," Fleisher said.

This case is still open 60 years later. As it stands right now, it is the longest active investigation with the Philadelphia police.

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