On Christmas Eve of 1945, a fire destroyed the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. George and Jennie Sodder, along with four of their nine children who were in the house at the time, escaped the blaze. However, the other five children—Maurice, 14; Martha, 12; Louis, 9; Jennie, 8; and Betty, 5—were never seen again. While authorities concluded the fire was accidental and that the children had perished in the flames, the Sodder family believed for the rest of their lives that their children had survived.
The events of that night and the subsequent investigation have been marked by a series of strange circumstances. Around midnight, Jennie Sodder was awakened by a phone call from a woman she didn't know, who laughed strangely before hanging up. Later, Jennie heard a loud thud on the roof. Around 1 a.m., she woke again to find the house on fire.
George Sodder's attempts to rescue the children were thwarted; a ladder that was always kept by the house was missing and his two trucks would not start. The Fayetteville Fire Department, hindered by a lack of manpower and a truck that wouldn't start, didn't arrive until the house had already burned to the ground.
The official investigation concluded the fire was caused by faulty wiring, a finding George Sodder disputed as he had recently had the house rewired and inspected. No remains of the children were found in the ashes, which led the fire chief to suggest the fire had been hot enough to cremate the bodies. However, a private investigator hired by the Sodders later found bone fragments, which were determined not to be from the missing children. The family's belief that their children were still alive was bolstered by various tips and alleged sightings in the years following the fire. They erected a billboard along Route 16 with the children's pictures and offered a reward for information.
One of the most perplexing pieces of potential evidence came in 1968, when the Sodders received a photograph in the mail of a young man who bore a striking resemblance to their son Louis. The back of the photo had a cryptic message. The family was never able to definitively identify the man in the picture. The Sodder parents passed away still believing their children were alive, and their surviving children and grandchildren have continued to seek answers. Theories about the children's disappearance range from a botched kidnapping by the Sicilian Mafia to the children being taken in by someone they knew. Despite numerous theories and amateur investigations, the fate of the five Sodder children remains one of West Virginia's most enduring mysteries.Last Seen: Dec 24, 1945
