What Happened to the Sodder Children?
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What Happened to the Sodder Children?
A true crime mystery that is still unsolved
The Sodder Children Disappearance
The Sodder children's disappearance occurred on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1945, in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The parents, an Italian immigrant (this is an important fact later regarding possible motives), George Sodder, his wife, Jennie, and nine of their ten children lived in the house. The oldest child Joe, 21, was away serving in the military.
The Night of the Fire
On the night of December 24, 1945, shortly after midnight, the children's mother, Jennie Sodder, was awakened by the ringing phone. When she answered, the female caller on the other end asked to speak to someone Jennie did not know, then laughed and hung up. Jennie believed this was a prank call. Before she went back to sleep, she noticed that her home's lights were on, the shades were up, and the doors were unlocked. She assumed one of the children had done it, pulled the shades, and locked the doors.
At 1:30 a.m., Jennie was awakened by a noise on the roof; then, she realized the house was on fire. She immediately woke her husband and children and told them to leave. Two of the Sodders' sons and their daughter, carrying the baby, made it outside, but Jennie and her husband, George, realized Maurice, Martha, Louise, Jennie, and Betty were missing. George assumed they were trapped upstairs and thought he would use his ladder, which was kept on the side of the house, to access their rooms. The ladder was missing and later found down an embankment far from the home.
Aftermath of the Fire
The Sodder house burned to the ground less than forty-five minutes after the fire started. The fire department initially blamed the blaze on faulty wiring. The police quickly closed the case for the missing Sodder children (Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 9; Jennie, 8; and Betty, 5) even though no human remains were found. The state issued death certificates for the children on December 30, 1945, just six days later. Despite an extensive search, no concrete evidence of the children's bodies was ever discovered at the site of the fire.
Possible Sightings
Over the years following the incident, the Sodders received various tips and leads about possible sightings of their missing children. However, none of these sightings panned out as anything valuable for finding any of their missing kids. In 1968, George and Jennie received a photograph in the mail of a young man that appeared to be in his early to mid-twenties. On the back of the picture were these words: "Louis Sodder," "I love brother Frankie." "ilil Boys," "A90132," or possibly "A90135." The Sodders believed it was a photo of their son Louis as an adult. They could not verify the man in the photograph or where it came from.
Theories and Suspicions
The Sodder family never believed that their children had died in the fire. They were convinced that the fire was set deliberately to cover up the abduction of their children. George Sodder believed that the incident was related to his outspoken criticism of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, as he was an Italian immigrant and frequently expressed his disapproval of Mussolini's regime.
Legal and Private Investigations
After the lack of help from the police, George and Jennie Sodder continued searching for their missing children and even consulted private investigators to look into the case. Despite their efforts, the fate of the five missing children remained unknown.
Still Unsolved
The case of the missing Sodder children remains unsolved to this day, and it has become one of the most enduring and perplexing mysteries in American history. Numerous theories and speculations surround the case, but no conclusive evidence has ever been found, leaving the fate of the Sodder children a haunting mystery. In 2021, Sylvia, the last remaining member of the Sodder family, who was only three years old when her home burned down, passed away.
Good Books
No Direct Evidence: The Story of the Missing Sodder Children: Bragg, Bob Lane, Bragg, Bob Lane: 9173164504682: Amazon.com: Books.
The Missing Sodder Children: Miles, Dorothy BN ID: 2940165585609, Published by Trellis Publishing, Inc. 07/11/2021
BarnesandNoble.com: Books
Podcast episodes:
Mythical True Crime https://www.audible.com/pd/Phantom-Phone-Call-The-Sodder-Disappearances-Podcast/B0C18BTMB3/
Casefile Case 192 https://casefilepodcast.com/case-192-the-sodder-children/