March 22, 2025 • 5 mins
In this 5-minute mystery, we delve into one of the most baffling true crime cases in American history - the Mystery of the Sodder Children. On Christmas Eve in 1945, a devastating fire swept through the Sodder family's West Virginia home, claiming the lives of five of their nine children. But as investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a web of inconsistencies and unanswered questions that would leave the community stunned and searching for answers. Join us as we explore the twists and turns of this infamous crime documentary, and try to unravel the mystery that has haunted the Sodder family for generations.
#TrueCrime #TrueCrimeStories #crime #crimedocumentary #unsolved #unsolvedmystery #SodderChildren
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/one-crime-at-a-time--4661577/support.
#TrueCrime #TrueCrimeStories #crime #crimedocumentary #unsolved #unsolvedmystery #SodderChildren
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/one-crime-at-a-time--4661577/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
One crime at a time presents five minute mystery. It
was a Christmas Eve unlike any other. In Fayetteville, West Virginia,
nineteen forty five, the Sowder family, a hard working, tight
knit group of Italian immigrants, had gathered to celebrate the
holiday in their modest home. But as their joyous evening
turned into a cold December night, tragedy struck in ways
(00:22):
no one could have ever imagined. The Sowter's house erupted
in flames, and by dawn, five of their nine children, Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jenny,
and Betty had seemingly vanished into thin air. What really
happened to the Solder siblings. It's a mystery that has
haunted the family and baffled investigators for nearly eight decades.
(00:44):
Join us today as we dive deep into this chilling,
unsolved case, one filled with strange events, unanswered questions, and
theories that range from heartbreaking to outright bazaar. Let's start
with the events surrounding the fire. The blaze began some
time after midnight while most of the family was asleep.
George and Jenny Sowter, the parents managed to escape along
(01:07):
with four of their children, but the five younger siblings
sleeping in the attic were nowhere to be found. George
tried desperately to save them, breaking windows, searching for his ladder,
even attempting to use his truck to climb to the attic,
but every effort was thwarted. The flames consumed the home,
and by morning it was reduced to ashes. Initially, the
(01:27):
assumption was tragic but straightforward the children had perished in
the fire, But soon details emerged that turned this simple
explanation on its head. Investigators found no trace of human
remains in the debris, no bones, no teeth, nothing that
would indicate the presence of five bodies. For George and Jenny.
This was the first sign that something was terribly amiss.
(01:50):
Then the oddities began piling up. The phone lines to
the house had been mysteriously cut before the fire started,
a strange passer by had been seen tossing something onto
the roof, which later turned out to be a small,
unexploded device, and the family car, a potential lifeline for
George to save his kids, had inexplicably refused to start.
(02:12):
But perhaps most unsettling were the events leading up to
the fire. Jenny recalled receiving a strange phone call earlier
in the evening, a woman asking for someone Jenny didn't know,
followed by laughter and other voices in the background. Meanwhile,
George had noticed two men parked on the highway near
the house just days before, watching his family's movements. These details,
(02:34):
while eerie, were hardly enough to piece together the story.
Then came the sightings. In the months following the fire,
reports began pouring in. People claimed to have seen the
missing Solder children in diners, in hotels, and even as
part of another family entirely. One woman swore she served
breakfast to the children at her restaurant, while another recalled
seeing them at a boarding house hundreds of miles away.
(02:56):
Years later, the Sowder family received what may be the
most chilling clue of all. Jenny found a photograph in
the mail, a picture of a young man with features
strikingly similar to her missing son, Lewis. Written on the
back were cryptic words Lewis sowter I love brother, Frankie,
elil boys A nine, O, one, three, two or thirty five.
(03:17):
The family hired private investigators to track down the sender,
but they were never able to locate them. So what
are the theories? The first and official investigation concluded that
the children died in the fire, but for many the
lack of remains makes this explanation difficult to accept. The
search for answers continues as the mystery of the Solder
Children remains unsolved, leaving questions that echo through the decades.
(03:41):
Another theory posits that the children were kidnapped by someone
with a vendetta against George. As a businessman and outspoken
critic of Benito Mussolini, George had made enemies within the
Italian American community, and some believe the fire was an
act of retaliation. Others suggest the children may have survived
and started new lives elsewhere, willingly or under duress. Could
(04:02):
they have been sold into adoption, trafficked, or perhaps taken
by someone who genuinely believed they were rescuing them from harm.
The mystery remains, with each theory more chilling and perplexing
than the last. Then there's the darker theory. Conspiracy Allegations
have surfaced over the years, pointing to connections between local
authorities and organized crime. Could a cover up have been
(04:24):
at play? Despite exhaustive searches, countless letters and even erecting
a billboard on Route sixteen to keep the case alive.
George and Jenny Sotter never found the answers they were seeking.
George passed away in nineteen sixty nine and Jenny followed
in nineteen eighty nine, taking this heart breaking mystery to
their graves, but their surviving children have carried the torch,
(04:47):
continuing the search and keeping the story alive to this day.
The Sowder Fire remains one of America's most compelling unsolved mysteries.
Was it a tragic accident, a calculated act of foul play,
or something else Entirely? As we reflect on the evidence,
one thing becomes clear. This family story deserves to be remembered.
(05:08):
What do you think happened to the Solder siblings? Were
they victims of a tragic fire or did something far
more sinister take place that night? Let us know your
theories in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for
more true crime and unsolved mysteries that will keep you
questioning the world around you. Thank you for listening. If
you found this story informative, please consider subscribing and share
One crime at a time presents five minute mystery. It
was a Christmas Eve unlike any other. In Fayetteville, West Virginia,
nineteen forty five, the Sowder family, a hard working, tight
knit group of Italian immigrants, had gathered to celebrate the
holiday in their modest home. But as their joyous evening
turned into a cold December night, tragedy struck in ways
(00:22):
no one could have ever imagined. The Sowter's house erupted
in flames, and by dawn, five of their nine children, Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jenny,
and Betty had seemingly vanished into thin air. What really
happened to the Solder siblings. It's a mystery that has
haunted the family and baffled investigators for nearly eight decades.
(00:44):
Join us today as we dive deep into this chilling,
unsolved case, one filled with strange events, unanswered questions, and
theories that range from heartbreaking to outright bazaar. Let's start
with the events surrounding the fire. The blaze began some
time after midnight while most of the family was asleep.
George and Jenny Sowter, the parents managed to escape along
(01:07):
with four of their children, but the five younger siblings
sleeping in the attic were nowhere to be found. George
tried desperately to save them, breaking windows, searching for his ladder,
even attempting to use his truck to climb to the attic,
but every effort was thwarted. The flames consumed the home,
and by morning it was reduced to ashes. Initially, the
(01:27):
assumption was tragic but straightforward the children had perished in
the fire, But soon details emerged that turned this simple
explanation on its head. Investigators found no trace of human
remains in the debris, no bones, no teeth, nothing that
would indicate the presence of five bodies. For George and Jenny.
This was the first sign that something was terribly amiss.
(01:50):
Then the oddities began piling up. The phone lines to
the house had been mysteriously cut before the fire started,
a strange passer by had been seen tossing something onto
the roof, which later turned out to be a small,
unexploded device, and the family car, a potential lifeline for
George to save his kids, had inexplicably refused to start.
(02:12):
But perhaps most unsettling were the events leading up to
the fire. Jenny recalled receiving a strange phone call earlier
in the evening, a woman asking for someone Jenny didn't know,
followed by laughter and other voices in the background. Meanwhile,
George had noticed two men parked on the highway near
the house just days before, watching his family's movements. These details,
(02:34):
while eerie, were hardly enough to piece together the story.
Then came the sightings. In the months following the fire,
reports began pouring in. People claimed to have seen the
missing Solder children in diners, in hotels, and even as
part of another family entirely. One woman swore she served
breakfast to the children at her restaurant, while another recalled
seeing them at a boarding house hundreds of miles away.
(02:56):
Years later, the Sowder family received what may be the
most chilling clue of all. Jenny found a photograph in
the mail, a picture of a young man with features
strikingly similar to her missing son, Lewis. Written on the
back were cryptic words Lewis sowter I love brother, Frankie,
elil boys A nine, O, one, three, two or thirty five.
(03:17):
The family hired private investigators to track down the sender,
but they were never able to locate them. So what
are the theories? The first and official investigation concluded that
the children died in the fire, but for many the
lack of remains makes this explanation difficult to accept. The
search for answers continues as the mystery of the Solder
Children remains unsolved, leaving questions that echo through the decades.
(03:41):
Another theory posits that the children were kidnapped by someone
with a vendetta against George. As a businessman and outspoken
critic of Benito Mussolini, George had made enemies within the
Italian American community, and some believe the fire was an
act of retaliation. Others suggest the children may have survived
and started new lives elsewhere, willingly or under duress. Could
(04:02):
they have been sold into adoption, trafficked, or perhaps taken
by someone who genuinely believed they were rescuing them from harm.
The mystery remains, with each theory more chilling and perplexing
than the last. Then there's the darker theory. Conspiracy Allegations
have surfaced over the years, pointing to connections between local
authorities and organized crime. Could a cover up have been
(04:24):
at play? Despite exhaustive searches, countless letters and even erecting
a billboard on Route sixteen to keep the case alive.
George and Jenny Sotter never found the answers they were seeking.
George passed away in nineteen sixty nine and Jenny followed
in nineteen eighty nine, taking this heart breaking mystery to
their graves, but their surviving children have carried the torch,
(04:47):
continuing the search and keeping the story alive to this day.
The Sowder Fire remains one of America's most compelling unsolved mysteries.
Was it a tragic accident, a calculated act of foul play,
or something else Entirely? As we reflect on the evidence,
one thing becomes clear. This family story deserves to be remembered.
(05:08):
What do you think happened to the Solder siblings? Were
they victims of a tragic fire or did something far
more sinister take place that night? Let us know your
theories in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for
more true crime and unsolved mysteries that will keep you
questioning the world around you. Thank you for listening. If
you found this story informative, please consider subscribing and share
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.