That's VERY reminiscent of The Boy in a Box. An unsolved Philadelphia murder where a never identified child was found in a box.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/boy-in-the-box
The Boy In The Box: The Mysterious Case That Took Over 60 Years To Solve
The "Boy In The Box" was found dead in a cardboard box in Philadelphia on February 25, 1957. Over six decades later, his identity was finally uncovered.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/boy-in-the-box
