Prompt Cast
The Unsolved Mystery of the Sodder Family Disappearance
TLDR The Sodder family, a respected middle-class family in West Virginia, experienced a tragic event on Christmas Eve 1945 when their five children disappeared in a house fire. Despite suspicions of foul play, no remains were found, leading to a decades-long unsolved mystery that continues to captivate the public.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Sodder family disappearance is an unsolved mystery that has become one of the strangest in American history.
04:49
The Sodder family, originally from Sardinia, moved to West Virginia in the early 1900s and became a respected middle-class family known for their trucking business and strong Italian community ties, but during World War II, there were disagreements among Italian Americans over Mussolini and the government he was creating.
09:16
On Christmas Eve 1945, the Sodder children asked their mother if they could stay up late to play with their new toys, and their older sister allowed them to do so, but later that night, the mother noticed that the lights were still on downstairs and the doors were unlocked, and when she went to check on the children, they were nowhere to be found.
13:46
On the night of the fire, the parents were able to get their two-year-old daughter out of the house, but their five other children were trapped on the top floor and the father's attempts to rescue them were unsuccessful.
18:53
The fire department's response to the fire was delayed and there were suspicions of either being paid off or sheer ineptitude, and when the fire was finally extinguished, there were no remains of the five missing children found in the burnt down house.
23:15
The Sodder family realized that the faulty wiring theory was unlikely, as George had recently had the wiring inspected and approved, and the lights were still on in the house during the fire, leading them to suspect foul play.
27:48
The Sodder parents begin to question whether their children actually died in the fire, as no remains were found, leading them to hire an investigator who found some coins, a dictionary, and vertebrae that were sent to the Smithsonian Institution for analysis.
32:49
The private detective hired by the Sodder family found a green rubber casing that was later identified as part of a bomb, and also discovered a fresh-ish beef liver that the fire chief had buried in an attempt to close the case.
37:48
The Sodder family received a mysterious letter with a photo of a man who resembled their missing son, but the identity of the man and the meaning behind the letter were never discovered.
42:20
The last surviving Sodder child, Sylvia, is determined to keep the story alive and actively participates in online sleuth websites to provide information and keep the mystery of her siblings' disappearance alive.
46:37
The episode ends with some listener feedback and ads for other podcasts.
Categories:
Society & Culture
