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America's Unknown
Child
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on a road called Susquehanna Road, on February 25, 1957, the battered body
of a small boy was found wrapped in a blanket and stuffed inside a cardboard
box that once contained a bassinet.
The child was thought to be
between the ages of 4 and 6. His hair, toenails and fingernails had
recently been groomed. He was found face up, in the box and his body
was nude, though he was wrapped in a blanket. His eyes were blue,
his hair was blonde and he appeared to be suffering from malnutrition.
The child had signs of having
had several surgeries in the past. It was hard to know just how long the
child had been dead, since the
weather was cold that time
of the year.
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The discovery
site on Susquehanna Road.
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In an attempt to help identify
the child, police dressed him up in children's clothing and sat him up
as though he were sleeping. Unfortunately, he was not recognized by anyone.
Below is a picture of the child sitting up and an artists view of what
the child looked like. I have chosen not to post pictures that show the
child more clearly, however, you can visit the site listed at the bottom
of this story to find full details and more pictures.
Evidence collected at the
site where the child was found consisted of items that may or may not have
belonged to the child and his murderer. A pair of children's shoes that
did not fit the child, a shirt that was the size which the child would
have worn, a mans white handkerchief, a child's scarf and perhaps the most
important item found was a royal blue corduroy mans hat with a leather
strap and a buckle in the back.
There was a path in the brush
that went directly from the hat to the child's body. It was learned that
the hat was made by the Robin's Bald Eagle Hat & Cap Company in Philadelphia.
Police also learned that only 12 of this particular hat had been made and
they had been made without the strap in the back.
Mrs. Robin's remembered the
man who came in to purchase the hat asking her to sew the strap on. Mrs.
Robin's also remember that the man looked like the child in the pictures
on the police poster. He had come to the store alone, was dressed
in work clothes, had blonde hair and was thought to be in his late 20's.
A woman by the name of Martha came forward to say
that the child's name was Jonathan. Martha claimed that her mother
had purchased Jonathan for the purpose of sexually abusing him claiming
her mother had been sexually abusing her as well. Martha said that Jonathan
was not able to talk and was mentally handicapped.
Martha gave many details about what happened on
the day Jonathan had died. He had thrown up in the bathtub which caused
Martha's mother to become angry with him. Martha's mother had killed him
by slamming him on the floor.
Martha's told of driving "Jonathan's" body in the
trunk of the car, to the area where she and her mother dumped him. She
told of a man who had stopped and asked them if they were having car trouble.
This story matched an account that had been given to the police by a man
who reported having stopped on the road to ask a woman if she was
having car trouble. The police were very skeptical since Martha had a history
of mental illness and the case was considered unsolved.
Though many people called in with leads, which lead
to the questioning of many many people, no arrests were ever made in this
case of this murdered child. The investigation is still going on today.
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Please visit the site below to find out more about
this case and to find phone numbers and e-mail addresses where you can
contact investigators if you have any information:
View
pictures of and read about the funerals for this child
More
pictures from memorials for this child
Return
to the story of America's Unknown Child
For information about preventing child abuse in the
state of Pennsylvania, click the links below. If they can't help you, ask
for someone who can. NEVER give up looking for help for an abused
child!
Department
Of Public Welfare
Call this number to report
child abuse ANY WHERE in the United States!
1-800-4-A-Child
1-800-422-4453
  
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