For one family in West Virginia, Christmas Eve 1945 began with festive joy but ended in a tragedy that would spawn an 80-year mystery. George and Jennie Sodder were celebrating with nine of their ten children at their home in Fayetteville when a devastating fire broke out in the early hours. While four children escaped, five – Maurice, 14; Martha Lee, 12; Louis, 10; Jennie, 8; and Betty, 5 – vanished without a trace.
A Fire Without Remains
The blaze erupted around 1 a.m. on December 24, 1945. In the chaos, 18-year-old Marian rescued her two-year-old sister, Sylvia, from the inferno. Two brothers, John and Ted, also managed to flee from the second floor. Yet, despite desperate attempts by George Sodder, who badly cut his arm trying to re-enter the burning house, the five other siblings could not be reached.
Help was fatally delayed. Phone lines were down, and the fire department did not arrive until Christmas morning. The official investigation concluded faulty wiring caused the fire and the children perished. However, a critical fact fuelled a lifetime of doubt: no human remains, bones, or teeth were ever recovered from the ashes.
A Family's Lifelong Search
Convinced something was amiss, George and Jennie Sodder refused to accept the official verdict. They launched their own investigation, offering a $10,000 reward, hiring private detectives, and pursuing leads across the United States, from New York to Florida. Jennie conducted experiments on her stove, burning meat bones to prove some trace should have survived.
They erected a large billboard on their property featuring the children's photos, pleading for information and stating their belief the fire was set to cover a kidnapping. The grief-stricken parents spent decades following tips, including a mysterious photograph of a man they believed was their son Louis, but each lead ended in disappointment.
Theories and a Lingering Fear
Over the decades, numerous theories emerged. Some pointed to George Sodder's outspoken criticism of Mussolini, suggesting a vendetta. Author Bob Bragg, who spent seven years researching the case, highlighted threats from organised crime figures trying to extort money from George's successful freight business. Three months before the fire, George was allegedly told his "house would go up in smoke" and his children destroyed.
Other speculation included sightings of the children in other states and the possibility they were cremated completely. Sylvia, the last surviving Sodder child who passed away in 2020 from Alzheimer's, rarely spoke of that night. Her daughter, Jennie Henthorn, serves as the family historian and recalls her grandparents' unwavering hope that their children were alive and safe somewhere.
"They had no reason to believe that they perished in the fire," Henthorn said, "so the only possibility, the only other option, is that somehow they were taken that night." The family endured further tragedy when a son, Michael, born in 1951, died a day after his birth, making the Christmas period especially painful for Jennie Sodder.
George Sodder died in 1969, and Jennie in 1989, never having found answers. Henthorn emphasises that despite the unimaginable loss, her grandparents lived meaningful lives and wanted their family to do the same. Yet, the mystery endures as one of America's most haunting cold cases, a testament to a family's love and a puzzle that remains unsolved after eight decades.
