On Christmas Eve, 1945, a fire engulfed the Sodder family’s home, leaving a haunting mystery in its wake. While George and Jennie Sodder, along with four of their nine children, escaped, the fate of Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty remains unknown. Did they perish in the flames, or were they victims of something far more sinister? Over 75 years later, the case is still unsolved.
10 Strange Occurrences In The Night
The Sodder family resided in a seven-bedroom house in Fayetteville, West Virginia. On that fateful Christmas Eve, five of the children asked to stay up late. Jennie agreed, asking them to lock the door before heading to bed.
At 12:30 AM, Jennie was awakened by a phone call. An unfamiliar female voice asked for someone she didn’t know, with laughter echoing in the background. Jennie dismissed it as a wrong number. As she returned to bed, she noticed the door was unlocked, locked it, and went back upstairs. Later, a loud bang and rolling noise on the roof startled her, but she didn’t think much of it.
9 Who Tampered With The Ladders and The Trucks?
Shortly after Jennie fell back asleep, smoke filled the house. George and Jennie rushed out, desperately trying to save their five children trapped in the attic. George tried to retrieve the ladders from the garage, but they were missing, later found discarded in a ditch.
He then attempted to use his trucks to reach the attic window, but neither would start, despite working fine the day before. George’s arm was cut as he tried to break the windows, but it was too late.
8 No Help From The Fire Department
George and Jennie tried calling the fire department, but the phone lines were dead. Neighbors drove to find the fire chief, but help didn’t arrive until 8 AM, seven hours after the fire started. By then, the house was reduced to ash.
The family expected to find skeletons in the rubble, but only a few bone fragments were recovered. The investigation was postponed due to Christmas Day. A maintenance worker later discovered the phone lines had been cut, not burned.
7 The Creepy Predictions Before The Fire
Two months before the fire, a life insurance salesman had threatened George, saying his house would go up in smoke and his children would be destroyed. George dismissed it, but the salesman’s words turned out to be hauntingly accurate.
An electrician also warned of faulty fuse boxes that could cause a fire. The electric company dismissed the concern, but the fire was later attributed to faulty wiring from Christmas lights in the basement. The insurance salesman who made the threat was also a juror during the inquest, and the children’s deaths were declared accidental.
6 The Fire Was Not Consistent Enough To Destroy Bones
Jennie investigated whether the fire could have destroyed human bones. Dr. Ramzi Amri of Harvard Medical School stated that bones require consistent temperatures above 850 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours to be completely destroyed. The Sodder house fire lasted only 45 minutes, suggesting skeletons should have been found, yet they weren’t.
5 The Kidnapping Plot
Jennie came to believe her children had been kidnapped. She questioned how five children could disappear from their home without a trace. It raised questions about how such a kidnapping could occur without waking anyone, and why the children were never recognized.
Suspicion even fell on Jennie, fueled by rumors of a $75,000 insurance policy on the children, which the family didn’t have.
4 Sighting Of The Children In A Hotel
George and Jennie offered a $5,000 reward for information. A witness reported serving the children breakfast the morning after the fire at a hotel in Charleston, 50 miles west of their home.
The witness described the children being accompanied by two women and two men of Italian descent. The men appeared hostile and prevented her from interacting with the children. The group left early the next morning, but the lead proved fruitless.
3 George Sodder’s Political Conflicts
George’s political beliefs may have played a role in the events. Born in Sardinia as Georgio Soddu, he immigrated to America and became a successful businessman. He held strong anti-Mussolini views, which clashed with those of other Italian immigrants in Fayetteville.
His coal-trucking business also faced pressure from the Sicilian Mafia. Weeks before the fire, the Sodder children reported being followed by a strange car, fueling suspicions of Mafia involvement.
2 The Photo of Louis Sodder
22 years after the disappearance, Jennie received a letter from Central City, Kentucky, containing a photo believed to be Louis. The message on the back read:
Louis Sodder
I love brother Frankie
Ilil boys
A90132 or 35
The family hired a private detective, but he couldn’t locate the sender. Despite never confirming the photo’s authenticity, George and Jennie framed it and displayed it above their fireplace.
1 FBI Investigation Derailed
Despite the case’s high profile, the FBI never got involved. In 1947, George and Jennie appealed to J. Edgar Hoover for help. Hoover declined, stating that the matter was of local character and outside the FBI’s jurisdiction.
Other FBI agents offered to assist if local authorities granted permission, but both the Fayetteville police and fire department refused. The Sodder family never rebuilt their home, instead creating a memorial garden on the site. George died in 1969, and Jennie in 1989. Only Sylvia, the youngest child, survived.
The mystery of the Sodder children remains one of the most perplexing unsolved cases of the 20th century. The conflicting evidence, strange occurrences, and unanswered questions continue to fuel speculation and debate.
What do you think happened to the Sodder children? Leave your comment below.
