This is about a tragic Christmas mystery
that remains unsolved after more than seventy-three years. It is about the five young Sodder children
who disappeared on Christmas Eve 1945. Their names and ages are Maurice, 14; Martha 12; Louis, 9; Jennie, 8; Betty, 5. In the small town of Fayetteville, West Virginia no one could agree on whether those children were dead or alive. The only known facts are these on the night of Christmas Eve 1945, George and Jennie Sodder and nine of their children went to sleep at one a.m. A fire broke out later that morning. George, Jennie and four of their children escaped and five of the children were never seen again.It is known that George had tried to save the children by breaking a window to re-enter the house. He reported that he could not see anything in the house because of the smoke from the fire that swept through all of the downstairs rooms. He figured Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty. Were trapped and hiding upstairs in their rooms and likely overcome with fear. He went back outside, hoping to reach them through the upstairs windows, but the ladder
he usually kept propped against the house was missing. The family had called for the fire department. However, they were a volunteer unit. Due to notification problems, the crew didn’t arrive until 8 a.m. The house had long ago burned down. A search of the grounds turned up no trace of human remains. Fire Chief Morris suggested that the blaze had been hot enough to completely cremate the bodies. A state police inspector combed the rubble and attributed the fire to faulty wiring. The coroner’s office issued five death certificates attributing the cause of death to “fire or suffocation. Still, George and Jennie Sodder wondered if their children were alive.
The family planted flowers across the space where their house had stood. Then they began to stitch together a series of odd moments leading up to the fire. A few months earlier, a stranger appeared at their home asking about hauling work. At the back of the house, he pointed to two separate fuse boxes, and said, “This will cause a fire someday.” George thought that was strange because he had just had the wiring checked by the local power company. They said it was in fine condition.
Sometime later, another man tried to sell the family some life insurance. He became irate when George declined. He swore and threaten that their house would go up in smoke and that the children would be destroyed. He was a supporter of Mussolini
. George, an Italian immigrant, was an outspoken opponent of Mussolini. He occasionally got into heated arguments with other members of Fayetteville’s Italian community who supported the dictator. The older Sodder sons also recalled, that just before Christmas, they noticed a man parked along U.S. Highway 21, watching the younger kids when they came home from school. On Christmas morning, at 12:30, the phone ring. Everyone was asleep. Jennie answered it. It was a wrong number but she heard people laughing and glasses clinking in the background. Before she returned to bed she noticed that the downstairs lights were still on and the curtains were open. She also discovered that the front door was unlocked. She saw her child, Marion asleep on the sofa in the living room. She assumed the other kids were upstairs in bed. She turned off the lights, closed the curtains and locked the front door before she returned to her room. She recalls having just dozed off when she heard a sharp, loud bang on the roof. Then she heard a rolling noise. About an hour later, she was awoken again by heavy smoke leaking into her room.
She just couldn’t understand how her five children could perish in a fire and leave no remains. She conducted experiments, burning animal bones, chicken bones, beef joints, and pork bones. She wanted to see how a fire would consume them. She was left with charred bones. The remains of various household appliances had been found in the burned-out basement. They were still identifiable. An employee, who worked at a crematorium
, informed her that bones remain after bodies are burned for two hours at 2,000 degrees. Their house was destroyed in 45 minutes.The oddities continued to flow. A telephone repairman told the family that their lines had been cut, not burned. That made them realized, if the fire had been the result of faulty wiring, then the power would have been off. The lights would not have been on downstairs. One day, while the family was visiting the site, Sylvia found a hard rubber object in the yard. Jennie recalled hearing the hard thud on the roof, the rolling sound. George concluded it was a napalm “pineapple hand grenade
” of the type used in warfare.Next came reports of the children being sighted. A local woman claimed to have seen the children in a passing car while the fire was in progress. Another woman who operated a tourist stop between Fayetteville and Charleston said she had seen the children the morning after the fire. She told police that she, served them breakfast. She also said that the car they came in had Florida license plates. A woman at a hotel, in Charleston, saw the children’s photos in a newspaper and claimed that she had seen four of the five children a week after the fire. She said that the children were accompanied by two women and two men of Italian
extraction. However, she didn’t remember the date.The entire party registered at the hotel and stayed in a large room. They registered about midnight. She claims that she tried to talk to the children; but, the men appeared hostile and refused to allow her to talk to them. She said that one of the men looked at her in a hostile manner. Then he turned around and began talking in Italian to the group. Then the whole party stopped talking to her. She got the sensed that they were warned to say nothing more. The group departed early the next morning.
In 1947, J. Edgar Hoover
declined to have the FBI investigate the case after receiving a request from the family. In his letter, he said, “Although we would like to be of service, the matter appears to be local. It does not fall within the investigative jurisdiction of this bureau. However, he said that they would assist if they could get permission from the local authorities. The Fayetteville police and fire departments declined the offer.The Sodders hired a private investigator named C.C. Tinsley. He discovered that the insurance salesman who had threatened George was a member of the coroner’s jury that deemed the fire accidental. He also learned from a Fayetteville minister that F.J. Morris, the fire chief, had discovered a heart in the ashes. He hid it inside of a dynamite box and buried it at the scene.
Tinsley persuaded Morris to show them the spot. They dug up the box and took it to a local funeral director, who concluded it was beef liver and untouched by the fire. Later, the Sodders learned that the fire chief had told others that the contents of the box had not been found in the fire. He had buried the beef liver in the rubble in the hope that finding any remains would placate the family.
Over the next few years, the tips and leads continued. George saw a newspaper photo of schoolchildren in New York City
and was convinced that one of them was his daughter Betty. He drove to Manhattan
, but her parents refused to speak to him. In August 1949, the family brought in a pathologist. The pathologist conducted a full and thorough excavation of the site. He uncovered several shards of vertebrae. He sent the bones to the Smithsonian Institution
. They said that the vertebrae showed no evidence that they had been exposed to fire and thought that it is very strange that no other bones were found at the site. Since the house burned for about half an hour they should have found the full skeletons of the five children. They concluded the vertebrae that was found had most likely originated in the supply of dirt used to fill in the basement.The report caused two hearings at the Capitol in Charleston. The result was the official closure of the case by government agencies. It was then that George and Jennie erected a billboard along Route 16 and passed out flyers offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of their children. Later they increased that amount to $10,000.
Tips continued to come in from around the country. A woman in St. Louis said the oldest girl, Martha, was in a convent there. A person in Texas overheard an incriminating conversation about a Christmas Eve fire in West Virginia. Someone in Florida claimed the children were staying with a distant relative of Jennie’s. George checked out each claim and always returned home disappointed.
In 1968, Jennie found an envelope in the mail addressed only to her. The postmarked was from Kentucky but it had no return address. Inside the envelope, she found a photo of a man in his mid-20s. On its flip side of the photo, a handwritten note read: “Louis Sodder. Physically, he resembled their Louis. They hired a private detective and sent him to Kentucky. However, they never heard from him again. The family feared that if they published the letter or the name of the town on the postmark they might cause Louis harm. Instead, they updated the billboard with the new picture and hung an enlarged copy over the fireplace.
George died in 1968 and Jennie died in 1989. Upon Jennie’s death, the billboard was taken down. The family continues to investigate.
Since the children remains were not found. I don’t believe that they died in the fire. It’s possible that they were kidnapped and the fire was set to cover that crime. What do you believe? Let me know at feedback@theaudiostories.com. I’ll read your feedback in an upcoming episode.
Community Christmas Ghost
ExperiencesThe First Sleep Over
When we first begin dating, Christmas Eve was the first night I slept over at my boyfriend’s (now husband) apartment. At that time, he had two roommates and they all shared a single bathroom in the hallway. I woke up early that morning around three thirty because I needed to pee. I was still very sleepy but I took my phone
with me to check messages and the news. I’m always working (even on holidays). When I was walking down the hallway, reading my messages, I was startled by an attractive young woman, in a short white nightgown that I didn’t know. She was coming from the kitchen. I was thinking that she must have been with one of his roommates. So, I said hello to her and continued to the bathroom. She didn’t say anything and behaved like she didn’t see or hear me. I was offended but I was really too sleepy to care about some stranger. I also remember feeling a chill as she passed me.
with me to check messages and the news. I’m always working (even on holidays). When I was walking down the hallway, reading my messages, I was startled by an attractive young woman, in a short white nightgown that I didn’t know. She was coming from the kitchen. I was thinking that she must have been with one of his roommates. So, I said hello to her and continued to the bathroom. She didn’t say anything and behaved like she didn’t see or hear me. I was offended but I was really too sleepy to care about some stranger. I also remember feeling a chill as she passed me.
Later that morning everybody is up and I am making breakfast for the boys. So, I teasingly ask the other roommates where the woman was. They were puzzled. I told them that I had encountered her in the hallway earlier that morning. Thinking she was just a hookup, I said that it was nothing to be ashamed of if she decided to leave. My boyfriend said, oh my god! He asked me to describe her. I told him that she was a young white girl, with blonde shoulder length hair, wearing a short white gown? I also added that she was very rude. She wouldn’t speak to me. He blurted out astonished to his roommates. Oh my god, she saw her! One of the roommates said no way! You guys are making this up! No, he said, I didn’t tell her anything. She saw her!
I was irritated and wanted to know what was going on. The silent roommate told me this story. When they moved into this apartment eight months ago the landlord claimed that the place was haunted. However, she thought that they would be ok since they were all men. Still, she said that everyone who lived in that unit reported that items such as car keys, eyeglasses, and documents would go missing and be found later in unlikely places. The roommates had all experienced that. She said that movement could be sensed out of the corner of the eye and strange sounds would be heard. They had all experienced that also. Finally, she told them some women could see a young woman dressed in a white nightgown moving through the rooms. They thought that everything up to that point had just been a coincidence. They really didn’t believe in ghosts. Then I, who had never heard about the ghost, described her accurately. I was the first woman that they knew who had actually seen her. After that Christmas, I didn’t go over there again.
Mabey It Was Jam-me
My sister had an imaginary friend named Jimmy when she was three. Because she was still learning how to speak the name sounded more like Jam-me. One Christmas Eve, well past her bedtime, my sister was making a lot of noise in her bedroom. We all believed it was just her excitement over Christmas morning being so close. When my dad checked on her she said that Jammie was tickling her feet and keeping her up. My dad is clever. From the living room, we heard him tell Jimmy that Kim had to sleep and that he had to go home. It was less than thirty seconds later, everyone in the Livingroom watched as our front door open and closed by itself. My mom went to the door and looked outside. I looked out of the front windows. In the blinking Christmas lights
, we didn’t see anybody. We still wonder how that happened.
, we didn’t see anybody. We still wonder how that happened.
The Christmas Travelers
My great grandfather lived to be one hundred and one years old. He told us kids about a strange thing that occurred on a Christmas Eve when he was a small child living with his family in a very rural area of Newfoundland
. There was a very bad snow storm. It was much worse than anyone could remember. Some strangers, who had been traveling on foot, stopped for the night at their house when the snowfall and drifts made continuing their journey impossible. We all wondered how they had been able to walk that far with so much snow. His dad offered to take them to the nearest town if the weather allowed the next morning and offered them lodging for the night.
. There was a very bad snow storm. It was much worse than anyone could remember. Some strangers, who had been traveling on foot, stopped for the night at their house when the snowfall and drifts made continuing their journey impossible. We all wondered how they had been able to walk that far with so much snow. His dad offered to take them to the nearest town if the weather allowed the next morning and offered them lodging for the night.
In those days it was not unusual for strangers to stop at a farmhouse and ask for lodging. Hotels and motels in that area were rare and far between. These travelers, a man, and a woman were very nice people and they were great storytellers. All in all, the company and the food made that Christmas Eve enjoyable. On Christmas morning when we awoke. The couple was gone. On the table were gold coins
and a note that thanked us for our good company. It was more money than his parents had ever seen. His parents used that money to acquire more farmland
and modern farm equipment. It became the foundation of the family's wealth.
and a note that thanked us for our good company. It was more money than his parents had ever seen. His parents used that money to acquire more farmland and modern farm equipment. It became the foundation of the family's wealth.
Another strange thing about that couple is that the wooden braces on the doors were still in place when we got up that morning. They had to be moved to open the doors. So, we wondered how the couple had gotten out of the house without moving the door brace. We didn’t believe that they had climbed out of the windows; because, the windows were frozen in place. The falling snow would have covered any footprint outside and we didn’t find any. The snowstorm
continued for a few days. Even after it stopped nobody could move without snowshoes
or a sleigh
. Yet this couple walking, on foot, had somehow continued on their journey.
continued for a few days. Even after it stopped nobody could move without snowshoes or a sleigh. Yet this couple walking, on foot, had somehow continued on their journey.
Ouija Board for Christmas
In 1995, I got a Ouija Board
from my aunt for my Christmas gift. I suspected that she got it for me just because it was heavily discounted from the original price. My aunt loves bargains. I really wasn’t too happy with the gift because everyone in my family, except me, believes the afterlife is made up. I think it is real and I didn’t want to upset the spirits. We played with the board later on Christmas day. We were asking questions and getting answers; but, my Aunt thought that it was me moving the planchette. I kept telling her it was the spirits. She then asked for the spirits to prove they exist. Suddenly, her back begins to feel like it was burning. My mom lifted her blouse to see what the problem was. On my aunts back, she found the outline of a large handprint. It looked like someone had slapped her hard on the exposed skin of her back and left her with a sunburn. When my little sister saw the handprint on my aunt's back, she said, we’re not alone in this house.
from my aunt for my Christmas gift. I suspected that she got it for me just because it was heavily discounted from the original price. My aunt loves bargains. I really wasn’t too happy with the gift because everyone in my family, except me, believes the afterlife is made up. I think it is real and I didn’t want to upset the spirits. We played with the board later on Christmas day. We were asking questions and getting answers; but, my Aunt thought that it was me moving the planchette. I kept telling her it was the spirits. She then asked for the spirits to prove they exist. Suddenly, her back begins to feel like it was burning. My mom lifted her blouse to see what the problem was. On my aunts back, she found the outline of a large handprint. It looked like someone had slapped her hard on the exposed skin of her back and left her with a sunburn. When my little sister saw the handprint on my aunt's back, she said, we’re not alone in this house.
The Things Kids Say
I was watching my nephew for my sister for a few hours. She and my wife had gone shopping for the ingredients of our Christmas meal. We were expecting our parents and in-laws to join us for a Christmas day meal. My nephew said out of nowhere. Papa (my dad) is not coming. He fell down and went to sleep. I thought that was strange. So, I said he can wake up and come to dinner. My nephew said no, he wants too but he can’t wake up. It was minutes later that my mother called us and said my father had a heart attack and had passed away. The medics were taking him to the morgue as she called me. That was a horrible Christmas and new year’s. My nephew grew up and became a professional poker player. If I said his name, you would know him.
The In-Laws House
On Christmas, years ago, we were going to have dinner at my in-law's house. I was helping with the cooking because there were a lot of people coming. I had prepared a large ham and made the dressing. Early in the morning, I took the ham
and other items that I had prepared for my in-law's to their house. My brother in law open the back door for me and help me carry the items into the house. From the back door, there was a hallway to the kitchen. In the middle of the hallway, there was a small powder room. As I passed the bathroom door, I felt an overpowering energy move through me. Suddenly, I was walking behind a very large man that I had never seen before. Then he turned left and entered the den. I looked back to my brother-in-law and asked who was that. With an unusual look of fear on his face, he said 'I don't want to talk about it!' He then just turned around and went upstairs. I put the items down in the kitchen and went to look into the den. No one was there but I still felt something overpowering. I went upstairs and talked with my mother-in-law. She smiled and said. Baby girl, that’s my first husband Ray. He's been haunting my house for years. Don’t let him bother you. He's not coming to dinner.
and other items that I had prepared for my in-law's to their house. My brother in law open the back door for me and help me carry the items into the house. From the back door, there was a hallway to the kitchen. In the middle of the hallway, there was a small powder room. As I passed the bathroom door, I felt an overpowering energy move through me. Suddenly, I was walking behind a very large man that I had never seen before. Then he turned left and entered the den. I looked back to my brother-in-law and asked who was that. With an unusual look of fear on his face, he said 'I don't want to talk about it!' He then just turned around and went upstairs. I put the items down in the kitchen and went to look into the den. No one was there but I still felt something overpowering. I went upstairs and talked with my mother-in-law. She smiled and said. Baby girl, that’s my first husband Ray. He's been haunting my house for years. Don’t let him bother you. He's not coming to dinner.