Case File #032: The Sodder Children Disappearance – Five Lost in the Fire
- Status: Unresolved – Presumed Missing
- Date Filed: December 25, 1945
- Last Reviewed: June 8, 2025
- Location: Fayetteville, West Virginia, United States
- Subjects: Maurice (14), Martha (12), Louis (9), Jennie (8), Betty (5) Sodder – Missing
- Filed Under: Unexplained Disappearance – Fire Investigation – Conspiracy Theories
- Access Level: Public
Introduction: Christmas Night, Vanished Without a Trace
On the night of December 24, 1945, the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, caught fire. George and Jennie Sodder escaped the blaze along with four of their ten children. The remaining five were believed to have perished in the flames.
But no remains were ever found. Over the years, strange clues began to emerge—witnesses, postcards, rumors of kidnapping, and alleged sightings. The case of the Sodder children remains one of the most haunting unsolved mysteries in American history.
The Family
George and Jennie Sodder were Italian immigrants with ten children. George ran a successful trucking company and was outspoken in his political views, particularly his criticism of Mussolini, which had earned him enemies in the local Italian-American community.
The family lived in a two-story wooden house on a rural road. On Christmas Eve 1945, they celebrated with gifts and music. The five youngest children—Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty—asked to stay up past bedtime to play with their new toys.
The Fire
At around 1:00 a.m., Jennie Sodder awoke to a strange phone call from a woman asking for someone they did not know. The voice laughed, and glasses clinked in the background. Shortly afterward, she heard something hit the roof and roll off. Then, the house was in flames.
George, Jennie, and four children escaped. George attempted to re-enter the home multiple times—climbing walls, breaking windows, and even trying to access a second-floor window with a ladder, but the ladder was missing. His trucks, which he hoped to use to climb, wouldn't start—though they had worked fine the previous day.
No Remains Found
Despite the house burning for 45 minutes and collapsing into itself, no trace of the five missing children was ever found. Experts noted that even in much hotter and longer-lasting fires, bones and teeth typically survive. A crematorium operator told the Sodders that complete cremation of bones requires much higher temperatures than a house fire would reach.
A state fire marshal concluded the blaze was due to faulty wiring. The Sodders disagreed and began their own investigation.
The Clues
- The Ladder was found at the bottom of an embankment 75 feet away from the house.
- A witness claimed to have seen “balls of fire” being thrown at the roof.
- A bus driver stated he saw people throwing something at the house that night.
- A telephone repairman later confirmed that the family’s phone line had been intentionally cut.
- A woman in Charleston claimed to have seen four of the children with unknown adults a week later.
Perhaps most chillingly, a letter arrived in the 1960s with a photo of a young man who resembled Louis Sodder, now grown. On the back was written:
“Louis Sodder. I love brother Frankie. Ilil boys. A90132 or 35.”
The Sodders hired a private investigator, who took the letter and vanished.
Public Search and Billboard
George and Jennie placed a billboard along Route 16 with the children’s photos and a $5,000 reward for information. The sign stayed up for over 40 years, becoming a regional landmark. The family received hundreds of tips over the decades, including stories of adoption, government cover-ups, and child trafficking.
Theories
- Mafia Retaliation – George's anti-Mussolini views may have angered fascist sympathizers in West Virginia’s Italian community. Some believe the children were abducted in retaliation.
- Kidnapping for Adoption – A local woman claimed she witnessed the children being taken to a home in Florida.
- Government Involvement – Some theories suggest FBI documents on the case were sealed, hinting at deeper involvement.
- Simple Tragedy – Skeptics argue the children likely died in the fire, and the lack of remains was due to the intensity and structure collapse.
Aftermath
George died in 1969, still searching. Jennie passed away in 1989. They never stopped believing the children were alive. The remaining Sodder siblings and their descendants continue to seek answers.
No official declaration of death was issued for the missing five. No bodies were recovered. No conclusive evidence ever surfaced.
Conclusion: A Family's Grief Turned into a Lifelong Search
The Sodder case is more than just a missing persons story. It’s a tale of relentless love, unresolved grief, and the chilling possibility that five children vanished under cover of fire. To this day, the question remains unanswered: What really happened on Christmas night in 1945?
References
All sources used in this case are listed in the References Archive. Each link corresponds to verified data, public records, or expert documentation.