Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes Turn Back the Page: The Christmas Mystery
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Dec 24, 2025 Take a dive into a haunting Christmas Eve mystery from 1945 West Virginia. A fire engulfs a family home, leading to a chilling investigation filled with bizarre clues. Suspicious events, including strange visitors and cut phone lines, hint at foul play. As the fire rips through, five children perish, leaving behind no identifiable remains. Witness reports spark questions about possible abductions, while modern science offers hope for answers. This gripping tale weaves together tragedy, intrigue, and a family's search for truth.
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Sabotage Suggests Intentional Arson
- Multiple signs (moved ladder, disabled trucks, cut phone lines) point toward a planned arson intended to prevent rescue.
- Paul Holes highlights these sabotages as evidence of intent to kill, not an accidental blaze.
Rapid Burn Points To Accelerants
- The house burned extremely fast, in under 45 minutes, which is inconsistent with a single outside ignition.
- Accelerants and the stored 55-gallon gasoline drum in the basement likely fueled the rapid, lethal spread of the fire.
Thief Found Nearby The Night Of The Fire
- A local trucker, Lonnie Johnson, admitted stealing tools and cutting the family's telephone lines the night of the fire.
- He pled guilty to theft but was never charged in connection with the arson despite the suspicious timing.