CastlesBurning
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The writer of the first article didn't do much research.
When a fire broke out in the Sodder family’s West Virginia household on Christmas Eve 1945, the parents-of-ten and several siblings got out. Five other children were never found - and neither were any human remains
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When a fire broke out in the Sodder family’s West Virginia household on Christmas Eve 1945, the parents-of-ten and several siblings got out. Five other children were never found - and neither were any human remains.
Because Mrs Paxton, herself a mother of two and a grandmother at the time of her death, had survived that same 1945 fire as a baby, escaping with her parents and three other siblings in a case that would spark regional lore, intrigue, conspiracy theories and a highway.
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Betty Sodder was one of five children to disappear after the 1945 Christmas Eve fire
Five of ten siblings vanished in a Christmas Eve house fire. Were they taken?
Satch, you have made really good points.Note that some reports say that remains were found. But with it being Christmas, LE did not want to upset the family. I have now concluded that the missing children died in the fire, and that any evidence was bulldozed over by George Sodder about a week later, going against orders of LE not to do that. Whatever remains were left were likely lost or contaminated due to the following:
1.) Lost due to the bulldozing of the property
2.) Lost to time
3.) The poor search abilities of the "Barney Fife" townspeople.
4.) The apathetic and at times angry attitude that neighbors had towards the family. George Sodder was a very politically opinionated person who's attitudes were not welcome by the community.
Combining these four factors I believe the fire was the work of an arsonist. The same person who cut the phone lines and moved the ladder, so George couldn't get to the upstairs windows, started the fire.
Satch
Was there a reason for him to bulldoze the site?Note that some reports say that remains were found. But with it being Christmas, LE did not want to upset the family. I have now concluded that the missing children died in the fire, and that any evidence was bulldozed over by George Sodder about a week later, going against orders of LE not to do that. Whatever remains were left were likely lost or contaminated due to the following:
1.) Lost due to the bulldozing of the property
2.) Lost to time
3.) The poor search abilities of the "Barney Fife" townspeople.
4.) The apathetic and at times angry attitude that neighbors had towards the family. George Sodder was a very politically opinionated person who's attitudes were not welcome by the community.
Combining these four factors I believe the fire was the work of an arsonist. The same person who cut the phone lines and moved the ladder, so George couldn't get to the upstairs windows, started the fire.
Satch
Was there a reason for him to bulldoze the site?
The writer of the first article didn't do much research.
These non-MSM web stories all do the same thing: they leave out important facts in order to make it seem like there's a mystery when there isn't one.
George had several 55-gallon drums of gasoline in the basement. Even after the house collapsed, the gasoline served as an accelerant that allowed the fire to burn very, very hot under the smoldering heap for several days. It would have been hotter than a furnace in a crematorium. The bodies of the children were likely burned to ash.
Their fate: Kidnapped-murdered or are they still alive?
Grief can lead to powerful denial, and that's what happened here. The parents convinced themselves that the children didn't die in the fire because the truth was overwhelming. The truth is tragic but simple.
Note that some reports say that remains were found. But with it being Christmas, LE did not want to upset the family. I have now concluded that the missing children died in the fire, and that any evidence was bulldozed over by George Sodder about a week later, going against orders of LE not to do that. Whatever remains were left were likely lost or contaminated due to the following:
1.) Lost due to the bulldozing of the property
2.) Lost to time
3.) The poor search abilities of the "Barney Fife" townspeople.
4.) The apathetic and at times angry attitude that neighbors had towards the family. George Sodder was a very politically opinionated person who's attitudes were not welcome by the community.
Combining these four factors I believe the fire was the work of an arsonist. The same person who cut the phone lines and moved the ladder, so George couldn't get to the upstairs windows, started the fire.
Satch
1. The house burnt to the ground and caved into the basement. There were no qualified people sifting through the blackened wet rubble (like archeologists) before it was bulldozed
2. The water in the barrel was frozen that night, so any water the fire department pumped into the basement froze too. Again making forensics very difficult
3. Fire department in town was staffed by volunteers, not professional fire inspectors. They showed up 5-6 hours after the fire.
4. "The phone lines were cut" the house was completely destroyed, old cloth wire sheathing would burn up too.
5. Neither vehicle would not start.. or were they unable to start them ? George was barefoot so if he didn't have time to put on shoes grabbing his car keys is unlikely.
6. How do you get 5 kids out of a house without anyone noticing or making a sound
Most of the 'facts' sound like hearsay or wishful thinking.
Witnesses are not always reliable especially if they are just trying to be helpful or get their opinions in the paper.
It would seem impractical that he stored gasoline in the basement of his home, even from the smell/vapors alone. He wouldnt have needed to have 110 gallons of gasoline to work on an engine.
Mussolini was a bad dude who sided with Hitler and got his butt kicked (by the Allies). If George was pro-Mussolini, I can see people in America being upset with him. This piece doesnt make sense to me.
The only thing that I can think of would be black market gasoline.
WWII had ended September 02, 1945, with Japan's surrender. Perhaps gas was slow to enter the civilian market following the end of the war? As a result, at Christmas 1945, there were still people willing to sell and buy black market gas?
I think it would depend on when he was vocal and how vocal he was regarding Mussolini.
Prior to the war, there was a certain amount of "soft" support for fascist leaders in the US as they were perceived as being pro law and order and able to keep the commies far, far, away.
As a result, general, or even direct support of Mussolini would not have stood out that much prior to Pearl Harbor. After Pearl Harbor, direct support for now enemy leaders was going to receive alot of negative attention.
But.... somebody supporting American troops, but keeping general fascist /anti communist sympathies with a pro US spin would probably not receive negative attention.
As a side note, Generals Patton and Macarthur were known to be, well, rather sympathetic to fascist thinking- so long as the fascists in question were not enemies of the US.
Black market gasoline….Hmmm, I never thought about THAT. Very interesting.
But it probably would have been easier to keep in a garage or outbuilding than in the basement if nothing else for the ease of use.
Whether loyal to a "motherland" or being 100% homegrown with fascist leanings, I agree- unless the individual was extremely vocal about it, having fascist sympathies was very unlikely to lead to an attack on one's home. Heck, General Patton had home grown fascist leanings.But to your point, I agree there were folks still loyal to their “motherland” and their leaders. But I can’t imagine it would ruffle anyone’s feathers to the point they would attempt something like this.