Daily News | Waves of speculation followed the release of Joseph A. Zarelli’s name
While some genealogists question whether the news conference was a “performance” that prompted internet sleuths to go “hunting” for possible relatives with this uncommon surname, those close to the case believe police made the right call.
Online speculation is a part of modern police work that isn’t going away, said Bill Fleisher, a cofounder of the Vidocq Society, the city-based group that reexamines cold cases. One widely shared conspiracy theory came from none other than a former PPD officer. Drew Techner, a recently retired Philadelphia police captain who had no involvement with the case during his 26-year-career, published a lengthy blog post on his personal website speculating about the identities of Joseph’s parents. Techner even suggested — without evidence — that specific deceased people who share the Zarelli surname may have had involvement in Joseph’s murder.
His name was first uncovered by genealogists in October 2021. Police said little about what happened in the ensuing year other than they released Joseph’s full name “when it became prudent for PPD and our partners to do so.” Colleen Fitzpatrick, founder and president of Identifinders International, the California-based genealogy company enlisted by the police, told The Inquirer that “legal wheels had to turn” before the name could be shared.
That said, the feeding frenzy on social media is a societal issue, she said, not a law enforcement problem. People have come to expect instant answers, Gillis said. ”There’s no reason that the family needs to be identified,” given that there’s no “public safety risk.”
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