West Virginia: The Vanishing of the Sodder Children

On Christmas Eve 1945, five children vanished from their family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia. When fire consumed the Sodder residence that night, George and Jennie Sodder expected to find their children's remains in the ashes. Instead, they found nothing—no bones, no trace, no explanation.The fire burned for less than an hour, yet investigators claimed it completely cremated five young bodies. The ladder that could have saved them had mysteriously disappeared. Both family trucks refused to start despite working perfectly the day before. The phone lines were cut. And in the months that followed, witnesses reported seeing the children alive, hundreds of miles away.For over seven decades, the Sodder family refused to believe their children died in that fire. The massive billboard George erected along Route 16, offering a $10,000 reward, stood for decades as a testament to a father's unshakable conviction: his children were taken, not killed. This is the story of America's most haunting Christmas mystery—a case where every answer leads to more questions, and the truth remains buried somewhere between tragedy and conspiracy.Subscribe to Hometown History for forgotten American history stories every week. New episodes release Tuesdays. Every hometown has a story—what's yours?In This Episode:Five children disappear during Christmas Eve house fire in 1945 FayettevilleFire experts confirm blaze wasn't hot enough to cremate bodiesEvery rescue attempt mysteriously fails—missing ladder, dead trucks, cut phone linesStrange threats preceded fire; bizarre sightings followed for decadesFamily's relentless search includes famous Route 16 billboard that stood for decadesMysterious 1968 photograph and bone fragments deepen the enigmaKey Figures:George Sodder (Giorgio Soddu) - Italian immigrant, trucking business owner, vocal Mussolini criticJennie Cipriani Sodder - Mother who never stopped searchingFive missing children: Maurice (14), Martha (12), Louis (9), Jennie (8), Betty (5)Timeline:December 24, 1945, 12:30 AM: Jennie receives strange phone callDecember 25, 1945, 1:30 AM: Fire discovered, rescue attempts failDecember 25, 1945, 8:00 AM: Fire department arrives, home destroyed, no remains1949: Excavation uncovers bone fragments inconsistent with fire or children's ages1968: Jennie receives mysterious photograph resembling missing son Louis1969: George dies still believing children alive1989: Jennie dies; billboard stood for decades as family memorialSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hometownhistory/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands