Friday, June 16, 2023

The Missing Sodder Children

I. Introduction

 - Brief explanation of the mysterious disappearance of the Sodder children

on the night before Christmas

in Fayetterville West Virginia, Gorge Sodder and 9 of their children were asleep when a fire broke out at around 1:30 in the morning. The house was set up that Gorge and Jennie slept downstairs with their youngest child sylvia who was 2 years old. Marion was 17 and that night she had fallen asleep on the downstairs couch. Gorge jr, 16 and John 23 also had a shared room upstairs.  


Maurice, 14, Martha, 12, Louis ,9, Jennie 8, and Betty, 5. All slept upstairs in two shared Rooms. 


At 12:30 in the morning the phone rang, Jennie woke up , and picked it up, it was a woman laughing on the other end, perhaps, she thought, the operator had made a mistake. But the woman continued to laugh and then hung up. Jennie tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that something was wrong. Sudd     enly, she heard a loud noise coming from the roof of the house. it sounded like something heavy thumping against the roof and then rolling down the side of the house. about half an hour later, she could smell smoke. SHe woke Gorge up and picked up her young daughter who was sleeping with them in a cot. both Gorge and Jenny yelled for their kids to get up and ran out of the house. Gorge went to wake Mariam up from the couch and helped her outside. Gorge Jr, and John both ran outside after them. However after a few minutes it was evident that the children sleeping upstairs had not woken up. Gorge tried to go back inside but the main staircase was engulf in flames. He went to the side of the house where he kept a ladder, bu the ladder was missing. it would later be found a few feet away from the phone polls, and thrown into a ditch. 


His last attempt to enter the house was thinking he could move his coal trucks close enough to the second floor window in order to climb into the house. However, even though he had used the both trucks fo work the day before that night neither truck started. while this was happening Marion ran to a neighbors house and asked for the to call the firedepartment, unfortunately the operator did not answer. perhaps because the phone lines had been cut. not knowing this, Mariom ran to the next neighbors house and tried again. again there was no response. this time however the neighbor seeing the importance and urgency of the situation got into their car and drove into town to try and find the fire marshall. He found F.J. Morris celebrating Christmas eve at a tabern in town. however, he was able to go to the house byhimself he had to ennact a phone tree so that all of the fire fighters could be called in. It took seven hours for the fire fighters to get to the house. 




By the time the fire fighters got to the house , it was already too late and the house had burned down completely. the firefighters and the members of the family looked through the remains but could not find any evidence of the five children who were supposed to be inside. The family was devastated and hoped that the children had somehow managed to escape. HOwever the fire chief believed that the children had burned up completely due to the fire being so hot. The investigation later revealed that the fire was caused by a faulty electrical wire. This tragedy could have been prevented with proper maintenance and inspection. HOwever, Gorge had had the wires checked by the electrical company only a few months prior when he installed a new appliance in the house.   




II. Background information

 - Sodder family's history and background is important to understand the context of their tragedy and the potential reasons for their children's disappearance. The Sodder family was a large Italian-American family who lived in Fayetteville, West Virginia. George Sodder, the father, had immigrated to the United States from Italy in the early 1900s and had settled in West Virginia, where he worked as a coal miner. Jennie Sodder, the mother, was also the daughter of Italian immigrants.

George and Jennie were married in the late 1920s and went on to have ten children together, eight boys and two girls. The family was known for being hardworking and tight-knit, and they were well-liked in their community.


The Sodders faced some challenges over the years, including discrimination due to their Italian heritage, and George had some run-ins with local officials because of his outspoken views on political issues. However, they were generally well-respected in their community and were known for their generosity and kindness.


George Sodder, the father of the Sodder family, was originally from Italy and had family members who still lived there. He was known to be critical of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his fascist government, particularly during World War II, when Italy was allied with Germany.


According to some reports, George may have expressed anti-fascist views publicly, which could have put him at odds with some Italian-Americans who supported Mussolini. There are also reports that he may have received threatening letters or phone calls from people who were sympathetic to Mussolini's regime.


It's unclear exactly what led to George's opposition to Mussolini and his regime, but his views may have been shaped by his experiences growing up in Italy and his personal beliefs about freedom and democracy. Regardless of the reasons behind his opposition, it's clear that his views made him a target for some people who supported Mussolini's government. 



 - Investigation and search efforts

The investigation into the Sodder house fire and the disappearance of the five children was conducted by local authorities in Fayetteville, West Virginia. However, the family was critical of the investigation and believed that the authorities were not thorough in their efforts to find the missing children.


Some of the issues with the investigation included the fact that the fire chief did not conduct a proper investigation of the cause of the fire and that the site was not secured after the fire, which allowed people to tamper with potential evidence. In addition, some witnesses who claimed to have seen the missing children after the fire were not interviewed by investigators.


The family also conducted their own investigation and found several pieces of evidence that suggested foul play, including a ladder that had been moved from its usual location and a possible human bone that was found in the ashes of the fire. However, the authorities did not follow up on these leads, and the case remained unsolved.


The Sodder family suspected foul play in the disappearance of their five children for several reasons. First, they found it difficult to believe that all five children perished in the fire, as no remains were ever found despite extensive searches.


Additionally, the family received several reports of sightings of their missing children in the years following the fire, which suggested that they may have been kidnapped rather than killed in the fire. One witness claimed to have seen the children in a car with out-of-state license plates, while another said they saw the children in a hotel.


The family also found some suspicious evidence, such as a ladder that had been moved from its usual location and a possible human bone that was found in the ashes of the fire. The fact that the family's phone line was cut and their car wouldn't start on the night of the fire also raised suspicions.


Overall, the Sodders believed that the authorities had not conducted a thorough investigation and that there were many unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of their children. Their suspicions of foul play were fueled by the lack of concrete evidence and the many strange occurrences that took place on the night of the fire.




IV. Evidence and clues

 - Eyewitness testimonies

There were several eyewitness testimonies in the Sodder case that suggested that the five missing children may not have died in the fire but rather may have been kidnapped. Here are some of the most notable eyewitness accounts:

1. On the morning after the fire, a woman reported seeing the missing Sodder children peering out of a passing car while the fire was still burning. She later claimed that the car was driving towards Charleston, West Virginia.


2. In the weeks following the fire, a woman reported seeing the missing children at a hotel in South Carolina. She claimed that she saw the children with several adults and that the children seemed fearful and were accompanied by two men.


3. In the early 1950s, a woman in Texas claimed that she overheard two men talking about the Sodder children and said that they "would never be found."


4. In 1967, a woman contacted the Sodder family and claimed to be their missing daughter, Martha. She said that she had been kidnapped by a group of men and taken to Mexico but was now living in the United States. However, the family was unable to confirm her identity, and the woman eventually stopped contacting them.


None of these eyewitness accounts were ever confirmed, and it's unclear whether they were accurate or not. However, they did add to the sense of mystery and suspicion surrounding the case and helped fuel the family's belief that their children may have been kidnapped.


 - Strange phone calls and sightings after the disappearance

The Sodder family received several strange phone calls and sightings in the years following the fire that suggested that their missing children may have been alive and well. Here are some of the most notable examples:


1. In the months following the fire, the family received a letter with no return address that claimed that the missing children were alive and well and living in Florida. The letter was postmarked from Kentucky, and the author claimed to have seen the children in Florida.


2. In 1949, a woman in St. Louis claimed that she saw a picture of a young boy in a magazine that she believed was one of the missing Sodder children. The magazine was from a children's home in Houston, Texas, and the boy in the picture had a striking resemblance to one of the missing children.


3. In the 1960s, the Sodders received several anonymous phone calls from a man who claimed to know what had happened to their missing children. The man never identified himself or provided any concrete information, but his calls added to the family's suspicion that their children may have been alive.


4. In 1967, a woman claiming to be the missing daughter Martha contacted the family. She said that she had been kidnapped by a group of men and taken to Mexico but was now living in the United States. However, the family was unable to confirm her identity, and the woman eventually stopped contacting them. The fourth point refers to a woman who contacted the Sodder family in 1967, claiming to be their missing daughter, Martha. According to the woman, she had been kidnapped by a group of men and taken to Mexico, where she lived for several years before returning to the United States.


The woman's story was intriguing to the Sodder family, which had never given up hope of finding their missing children. They arranged to meet with her, but the woman never showed up. When they tried to contact her again, they were unable to reach her.


The family hired a private investigator to try to track down the woman, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Some people have speculated that the woman may have been a hoaxer or a fraudster trying to take advantage of the family's grief. However, others believe that the woman may have been telling the truth and that she was either too scared or too traumatized to follow through with meeting the family.


Ultimately, the true identity and motives of the woman who claimed to be Martha Sodder remain a mystery, and the case of the missing children has never been solved.


None of these sightings or phone calls were ever confirmed, and it's unclear whether they were credible or not. However, they did add to the family's belief that their children may have been alive and helped keep the case in the public eye.


possible conspiracy theories


The case of the Sodder children's disappearance on Christmas Eve in 1945 has remained a mystery for many years, and no one knows for sure what happened to the children. However, there have been several theories and possible culprits in the case. Here are some of the most notable ones:


1. The Italian Mafia: Some people have speculated that the Sodder children may have been kidnapped by the Italian Mafia, who were known to operate in the area and may have been angered by George Sodder's anti-fascist views.


2. The Ku Klux Klan: The Sodders were Catholic and of Italian descent, and some people have suggested that they may have been targeted by the Ku Klux Klan, who were known to be active in the area.


3. A neighbor or acquaintance: It's possible that one of the Sodders' neighbors or acquaintances may have been involved in the disappearance of the children, either through kidnapping or by covering up evidence.


4.  The children themselves: Some have suggested that the children may have run away or staged their own disappearance, either because they were unhappy at home or because they were being mistreated.


One of the theories about the Sodder children's disappearance involves an insurance salesman named J. Edgar Hoover Smith, who had visited the Sodder home a few months before the fire.


According to some reports, Smith had been trying to sell George Sodder life insurance, but George had declined. Smith was reportedly angry about the rejection and had made some threats against the Sodder family.


After the fire, Smith allegedly made some suspicious comments to George Sodder that suggested he may have had something to do with the disappearance of the children. However, when questioned by police, Smith denied any involvement in the case.


 Some people believe that Smith may have been a red herring or a distraction from the true culprit, while others believe that he may have been involved in some way.


According to some reports, J. Edgar Hoover Smith made some suspicious comments to George Sodder in the aftermath of the fire that suggested he may have had something to do with the disappearance of the children.


One of the comments that Smith allegedly made was that the Sodder children "were going to be taken off" if George didn't stop talking about Mussolini. This comment was seen as particularly concerning given George's outspoken opposition to Mussolini and his fascist regime.


Additionally, Smith reportedly told George that his house would "go up in smoke" and that his children would "be destroyed" in a similar manner to the fire that had destroyed the Sodder home.










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