Thoughts on the Sodder Children Disappearance

Let me be honest here: I do not have any amazing new information to present in this case. In fact, I'll admit that I only recently learned about this entire story. However, I will do my best to put the details into perspective, though they seem forever scrambled regardless of how they're pieced together.

Introduction

The Sodder children disappearance is quite an interesting case. In fact, it seems to border on becoming a legend, due to its bizarre twists and turns. What happened? On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1945, a fire broke out in the Fayetteville, West Virginia home of George and Jennie Sodder. Although they survived, 5 of their 10 children did not...or did they? There is a theory — promoted by the surviving Fodders — that these 5 children were kidnapped rather than killed in the blaze. Why?

One of the prominent theories is that Sodder was a staunch critic of Benito Mussolini, the infamous Italian dictator. In fact. George Sodder was supposedly quite vocal in his critiques, which might have made him unpopular among certain Italian immigrants who happened to support the ruler. This theory is plausible, given that supporters of fascist regimes aren't always nice people. The problem is, what was so special about the Fodder family that their children would be targeted for kidnapping, in response to his harsh words toward Mussolini? One road does not necessarily lead to the other. On top of that, source after source repeats that the Fodders were "one of the most respected middle-class families around." In other words, there's no indication that any Sodders were up to no good.

In fact, it pays to remember that, during this time in America, Italians (and other immigrants, including other Europeans) faced a little more open discrimination than they do today. In that sense, the Sodders being successful to any degree might be considered a notable expression of the American dream. It hardly seems they would have had a big target on their collective back. So, ultimately, part of the mystery here involves the Fodder family itself. An article by Smithsonian notes: "George held strong opinions about everything from business to current events and politics, but was, for some reason, reticent to talk about his youth. He never explained what had happened back in Italy to make him want to leave." Like many aspects of the Sodder case, this detail is vague yet interesting.

The Flames of Mystery

What caused the fire on that Christmas Eve? Was there foul play? According to every source you'll find, George Sodder claimed that his ladder went missing at the time, so he had no way of re-entering the house to rescue the five remaining children. If that's not enough, none of his coal trucks were starting. Marion, one of the children, Marion, escaped and called a neighbor. It gets weirder about the fire. Even though the fire station was only 2.5 miles away, it took them 7 hours to get to the Sodder home! Sure, it was Christmas Eve, but 7 hours? That alone is somewhat suspicious.

There were also no remains reported in the fire's aftermath, and the initial investigation attributed the fire to faulty wiring. There's a problem with that, though: The wires were supposedly inspected not long before the fire. Was the inspector's judgment faulty, then? Could the inspector have been in on it (a possibility I haven't seen mentioned in any source I've read)? Both possibilities seem unlikely, but who knows?

Arson?

For those who suspect arson, a prime suspect often cited is a salesman who was aware of George Fodder's anti-Mussolini stance. When Mr. Fodder declined to buy insurance from him, the man allegedly said: “Your god damn house is going up in smoke and your children are going to be destroyed...for the dirty remarks you have been making about Mussolini."

If that's not an ominous threat, what is? According to the Times West Virginian, this salesman also "served as chairman of the coroner’s inquest of the fire on December 26, 1945." That being said, there's a bit of a he-said-he-said thing about that, isn't there?

Jennie Sodder claimed that, not long before the fire, she heard a bang on the roof. Also, had the fire been caused by an electrical failure, how come Jennie maintained some house lights were on during the fire? Wouldn't they have been taken out? Then there's George Fodder's claim that a napalm pineapple bomb was found when the Smithsonian investigated the fire again in 1949.

To complicate matters, they also say they found 4 human bones. Still, some people claim they saw the missing Fodder children shortly after the fire! Could that have been a mean prank, similar to those who wrote false letters to police during the Jack the Ripper case? Then, to add to the aura of conspiracy theory, it's said that the (already questionable) fire department didn't help the FBI's investigation in 1947. Frankly, that fire department sounds ridiculously, perhaps implausibly, incompetent.

C.C. Tinsley, Investigator

According to the Smithsonian article so often cited in this case, an investigator named C.C. Tinsley hired by the Sodders learned something startling: The same insurance salesman who threatened the Sodder family was (supposedly) on the coroner's jury that determined the fire as accidental! To thicken the mystery, even more, it's also said that Tinsley himself went missing and has never been heard from again.

There's also some weird detail of finding a heart in the Sodder's basement. However, when it was dug up it was supposedly just a beef liver(?)! Obviously, this has all the makings of a strange and terrible tale, and it definitely seems fantastical to throw all of these elements together.

Will This Become a Mere Urban Legend? Is it Already One?

Source after source lends credence to some elements of the Sodder children disappearance. However, as with articles about, say, Bigfoot or religious stuff, a lot of the sources derive info from a small assortment of sources themselves. The case has officially been closed, but it has grown larger and wider than mere legal proceedings at this point.

This story will likely gradually morph into campfire tales, or something much like it ("creepypastas," to use a term I never liked). One can imagine the marshmallows burning as someone speaks about shards of human vertebrae found in the basement, all because the father figure criticized a well-known politician. In fact, as the years pass, it might not even be about Mussolini anymore, but any "strong leader" we're not supposed to criticize.

There is some evidence that some of these details likely occurred, of course. If nothing else, one can find pictures of the legendary billboard set up by the Sodder family about the disappearance. Apparently that no longer stands, which might be a shame when it comes to attracting tourists to the area.

There may something a bit shameful about relating such tales, especially when they involved real people. However, one cannot deny some possibility of fascination here. Unfortunately, that sometimes creates more questions than answers, and the actual truth (whatever it may be) can be buried under myth-making mischief.