True Crime Garage

Missing Sodder Children /// Part 1 /// 892

Dec 24, 2025
In a small West Virginia town, a tragic fire claimed the home of the Sodder family on Christmas Eve 1945, leading to the disappearance of five children. Eyewitnesses and mysterious phone calls raise questions about the official narrative, which attributes the cause to faulty wiring. The absence of bones and unburned items in the rubble deepens the mystery surrounding their fate. The Sodder family's resilience shines as they seek the truth, challenging the local authorities' verdict and igniting a decades-long search for answers.
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INSIGHT

Famous Unresolved Disappearance

  • The Sodder disappearance became famous because five children vanished after a house fire with no remains found.
  • The case mixes plausible accident details with many suspicious circumstances that sustain doubt even decades later.
ANECDOTE

Sodder Family Background

  • Nic recounts George and Jenny Sodder's immigrant origins and family growth to ten children.
  • This background sets up their standing in Fayetteville and why the community noticed the tragedy.
INSIGHT

Prior Threats And Motive Clues

  • A business dispute and political tension preceded the fire, including threats tied to Mussolini support.
  • Those threats and an insurance dispute introduced early motives and suspects for skeptics.
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