The Mysterious Disappearance of Five Children in 1945 The Sodder Family Case.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Five Children in 1945 The Sodder Family Case.

Some events in history never fade away instead they raise more questions over time. One such mystery is the disappearance of five Sodder children on Christmas Eve December 25 1945 in Fayetteville West Virginia USA.

The case remains unsolved to this day

Did the children perish in the fire

Or were they kidnapped

If they burned why were no remains found?

If they were abducted who took them and why. This is not just a tale of mystery and tragedy but also of a parent's relentless search for their missing children a search that lasted a lifetime.

George Sodder and Jennie Sodder were Italian immigrants who settled in West Virginia where George ran a successful coal trucking business. They were a large happy family with ten children living a peaceful life. However their world was shattered on one fateful Christmas Eve.

December 25 1945 The Tragic Night

The Sodder family was celebrating Christmas joyfully. The children were excited opening presents and playing late into the night. Around 12:30 AM Jennie Sodder received a strange phone call. A woman with an unfamiliar voice asked (Is your husband home)

The caller then laughed eerily before hanging up. Jennie found this odd but did not think much of it. She went back to bed.

Shortly after around 1:00 AM a loud thud was heard on the roof followed by smoke filling the house. A fire had broken out.

Flames quickly engulfed the house and Jennie woke George in a panic. The couple and some of their children managed to escape but five of their kidsnMaurice (14) Martha (12) Louis (9) Jennie (8) and Betty (5) were trapped inside. Investigations into the incident revealed several unusual details making it appear less like an accident and more like a planned event.

When Jennie tried to call the fire department she discovered that the phone line had been severed. Later investigations confirmed that it had been deliberately cut. George always kept a ladder outside his house but that night it was mysteriously missing. The next day it was found discarded in a ditch some distance away. George attempted to use a water pump to douse the flames, but strangely it would not function. Once the fire was extinguished no bones ashes or any human remains were found in the debris. Typically in house fires at least some bones or teeth survive but in this case there was nothing. Some witnesses claimed to have seen the children in a car before the fire. A woman later reported seeing them in a hotel but when authorities arrived they were gone. Following the fire George and Jennie Sodder dedicated their lives to finding their missing children.

A Mysterious Letter

In 1968 Jennie received a strange letter with a photograph of a young man. On the back it read:

Louis Sodder. I love you. Brother Frankie.

This letter gave the family hope that at least one of their children was alive. However they were never able to trace its origin.

2. The Sodder Family Billboard

Determined to keep their children’s disappearance in the public eye George and Jennie put up a large billboard on a highway detailing the case and offering a reward for information.

3. A Lifetime of Searching

George Sodder passed away in 1969 and Jennie in 1989 but both spent their lives hoping for answers.



The case remains unsolved but several theories have emerged over the years:

1. Involvement of the Mafia Some believe George had conflicts with the Italian Mafia leading to the abduction of his children.

2. Human Trafficking Others suspect the children were taken by a human trafficking ring.

3. Accident or Conspiracy While some think it was just a tragic accident the strange clues suggest otherwise.

A Mystery That Still Haunts Us

The disappearance of the Sodder children is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history. Despite numerous investigations and theories no one has ever found definitive proof of what happened to them.

Were they truly lost in the fire or did they live on somewhere never knowing their real family This question remains unanswered to this day.