Sign-In
Cart
The Mystery of the Sodder Children: A Christmas Disappearance
Paperback
Series: When Christmas Turned Dark: Unsolved Holiday Tragedies, Book 1
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Dec 21 2025
Pages: 142
Weight: 0.40
Height: 0.36 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Five children vanished on Christmas Eve.
The official story said they died in the fire.
But the fire left behind something that still refuses to make sense: no bodies. No bones. No proof.
On December 24, 1945, the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, burned to the ground in less than an hour. By morning, five of the Sodder children-Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty-were gone. Authorities closed the case quickly, calling it a tragic accident caused by faulty wiring.
George and Jennie Sodder never accepted it-because the evidence didn't match the conclusion. The ladder they needed to rescue their children was missing. The phone line had been cut. The family trucks wouldn't start. Witnesses reported unfamiliar vehicles near the home before the fire. And despite searches, sifting, and expert opinions, no human remains were ever recovered.
What happened to the Sodder children wasn't just a mystery. It became a lifelong pursuit-one that outlasted official interest, reshaped a family, and left a haunting question hanging over America for generations:
How do five children disappear in the middle of the night... without a trace?
Inside you will find...A step-by-step narrative of the Christmas Eve fire, including the timeline, the chaos, and the chilling details that never added up
The warnings that came before the flames-including threats tied to George Sodder's outspoken views and suspicious strangers asking the wrong questions
The evidence that challenged the accidental fire conclusion, from missing tools to contradictions in the official record
The family's desperate search, including reported sightings, private investigators, dead-end leads, and the emotional toll of years spent chasing possibility
Forensic logic and expert opinions on why a house fire should have left bones and teeth-yet didn't
The mysterious 1967 photograph, believed by many to show Louis Sodder as an adult-sent with no return address and a message no one could decode
The most credible theories, weighed against known facts, and the reason the case still refuses to close
This is not just a story about a fire.
It's a story about absence, about silence, and about the kind of mystery that doesn't end when the smoke clears-because the truth was never found in the ashes.
If you're drawn to unsolved disappearances, historical true crime, and cases where the official explanation doesn't hold, this book will pull you in-and stay with you long after the final page.
The Mystery of the Sodder Children: A Christmas Disappearance
Also from
Davidson, Linda
The Tragedy of Betty Broderick: Divorce, Obsession, and the Double Murder That Shocked California
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Beautiful Lies: The Casey Anthony Case, a Missing Child, and the Story That Never Added Up
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Vanished on the Open Road: The Gabby Petito Story: Love, Lies, and the Digital Trail That Led to a Killer
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Watcher Next Door: The Circleville Letters, Anonymous Threats, and the Mystery That Never Ended
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Jackal's Shadow: Carlos the Jackal, the Birth of Modern Terrorism, and the Making of a Global Manhunt
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Cop with a Secret: The Murder of Jesse Valencia by Steven Rios and the Life He Killed to Keep Hidden
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Beneath the Baltic: The Murder of Kim Wall and the Submarine Case That Shocked the World
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Surgeon of Sin: Inside the Twisted Mind and Crimes of Jack Wayne Rogers
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Three Days in October: The Disappearance, Discovery, and Unfinished Case of Sharon Marie Thor
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Cult of Control: Inside NXIVM, Keith Raniere, and the Secret Empire of Sex, Power, and Manipulation
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Justice Denied: The JonBenét Ramsey Mystery: Inside the Case That Shook America and Still Haunts a Nation
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Fatal Seduction: The Jodi Arias Case, a Secret Affair, and the Brutal Murder That Shocked America
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Taken From Campus: The Disappearance of Yingying Zhang and the Investigation That Followed
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Golden State's Ghost: Joseph James DeAngelo and the Hunt for the Golden State Killer
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Beneath the Perfect Picture: Beneath the Perfect Picture The Watts Family Murders
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Inside the Abu Nidal Network: Power, Paranoia, and the Global Campaign of Terror No One Could Control
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Grim Sleeper: Lonnie Franklin Jr. The Killing Spree That Terrorized Los Angeles
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Numbers That Killed: How Flawed Statistics Turned Lucia de Berk Into a Murderer-and Shattered European Justice
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Emotion on Trial: How Guilty, Bias, and Media Narratives Helped Shape Three High-Profile Cases
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Beast of The Bayou: Derrick Todd Lee and the Murders That Terrorized Louisiana
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Red Light Vanish: The Disappearance of Bryce Laspisa and The Night That Haunts California
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Buried in the Sand: Thirteen Victims. One Quiet Monster. A Decade of Silence.
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Last Mile He Walked: A True Story of Loss, Confusion and The Disappearance of Brandon Swanson
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Behind the Blue Barrel: The Murder of Shannan Gilbert and the Women of Gilgo Beach
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Baby Who Disappeared: The Azaria Chamberlain Case and the Cry in the Dark
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Vanished in Aruba: The Natalee Holloway Case and The Mystery That Haunted a Nation
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
He Was Almost Home: The True Story of Jason Landry's Disappearance and the Miles That Vanished With Him
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Unseen Stalker: The Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott and the Calls That Predicted Her Death
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Diane Downs Case: The Night She Shot Her Children and the Lie That Fooled a Nation
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
A Day That Changed the Games: Munich 1972, the Olympic Hostage Crisis, and the Tragedy That Reshaped Global Security
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Behind The Badge: The Gerard Schaefer Case, A Killer Cop, And The Brutal Crimes Hidden Behind The Uniform
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Vanished on the Line: The Disappearance of Angela Hammond and the Call That Ended in a Scream
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Vanished in the Pines: The Disappearance of DeOrr Kunz Jr. and the Secrets Beneath Timber Creek
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
The Quiet Predator: Gary Ridgway, The Green River Killer, and the Pattern No One Stopped
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Down The Hill: The Girls Who Captured a Killer and The Secrets Still Buried in Delphi
Davidson, Linda
Paperback
Also in
True Crime
Mary's Mosaic: The CIA Conspiracy to Murder John F. Kennedy, Mary Pinchot Meyer, and Their Vision for World Peace
Janney, Peter
Hardcover
Will to Murder: The True Story Behind the Crimes & Trials Surrounding the Glensheen Killings
Feichtinger, Gail
Paperback
Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat
Graff, Garrett M.
Carlin, John P.
Paperback
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Hardcover
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
Larson, Erik
Paperback
Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast
Colloff, Pamela
Hardcover
The Killer and Frank Lloyd Wright: The True Story of Mass Murder in Paradise
Sherman, Casey
Hardcover
The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria's Romance Scammers
Barragán, Carlos
Hardcover
Blizzard of Lies: Karen Read, John O'Keefe, and the Shocking Unsolved Murder in Cop Town, USA
Wedge, Dave
Hardcover
Face to Face with Whitey Bulger: An FBI Agent's Account of Capturing and Debriefing Boston's Most Notorious Gangster
Teahan, Rich
Ward, Bob
Paperback
Within the House of Murdaugh: Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca and Maggie
Weaver, Mary Frances
Turrubiate-Simpson, Blanca
Paperback
The Typewriter and the Guillotine: An American Journalist, a German Serial Killer, and Paris on the Eve of WWII
Braude, Mark
Hardcover
The Vampire's Cult: The Untold Story of Obsession, Control, and a Shocking Small-Town Murder
Hardin, Chet
Paperback
Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice
Dilorenzo, Maria
Hardcover
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth (Large Print Edition)
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paperback
The Ego Trip: Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence
de Greef, Kimon
Hardcover
Kingdom of Devils: A Tale of Murder in the Shadow of the American Revolution
Grandjean, Katherine
Hardcover
The Veiled Prophet: Secret Societies, White Supremacy, and the Struggle for St. Louis
O'Shea, Devin Thomas
Hardcover
The Man Who Stole the Gods: A True Story of War, Obsession, and a Global Art Conspiracy
Campbell, Matthew
Hardcover
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood
Olsen, Gregg
Paperback
Fires in the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, the Fbi, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage
Wolfe, Matthew
Hardcover
White Elephant Gifts for Adult: 500 Serial Killers Encyclopedia Facts and Figures
Murdle, K.
Paperback
Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, an Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder Trial That Changed Legal History
Cohen, Adam
Hardcover
American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate
Lichtblau, Eric
Hardcover
Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil's Biggest Bet
Gardiner, Beth
Hardcover
The Best Kind of American: A True Story of Murder, War, and America's Undoing in the Middle East
Ghattas, Kim
Hardcover
The Havana Syndrome: Secret Weapons, a Government Cover-Up, and the Greatest Spy Mystery of Our Time
Zill de Granados, Oriana
Rey, Michael
Hardcover
The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy
Ireland, Josh
Hardcover
Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent's Search for Hope and Justice
Edward, John
Hilland, Robert
Hardcover
One Nation Under Blackmail - Vol. 1: The Sordid Union Between Intelligence and Crime That Gave Rise to Jeffrey Epstein, Vol.1
Webb, Whitney Alyse
Paperback
Don't Talk about Joe Mac: The Life, Wars, and Secret History of the Man Behind the Winter Hill Gang
Toledo, Springs
Hardcover
Brain Games - Criminal Mind Puzzles: Crime-Themed Brain Teasers Visual, Verbal, Memory & Logic Puzzles Spiral Bound Activity Book for Adults & Teens
Publications International Ltd
Brain Games
Paperback
Clinton Bush and CIA Conspiracies: From The Boys on the Tracks to Jeffrey Epstein
Attwood, Shaun
Paperback
Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World's Largest Art Heist
Kelly, Geoffrey
Hardcover
The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America's Lawsuit Factory
Chamblee Burch, Elizabeth
Hardcover
The Doctors' Riot of 1788: Body Snatching, Bloodletting, and Anatomy in America
McPhee, Andy
Hardcover
The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars
Collins, Paul
Paperback
Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast (Large Print Edition)
Colloff, Pamela
Paperback
Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail
Lankford, Andrea
Paperback
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
McNamara, Michelle
Paperback
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
Johnson, Kirk Wallace
Paperback
Without Consent: A Landmark Trial and the Decades-Long Struggle to Make Spousal Rape a Crime
Weinman, Sarah
Hardcover
The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther
Haas, Jeffrey
Paperback
Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida
King, Gilbert
Hardcover
Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon: Laurel Canyon, Covert Ops & the Dark Heart of the Hippie Dream
McGowan, David
Paperback
College Girl, Missing: The True Story of How a Young Woman Disappeared in Plain Sight
Cohen, Shawn
Paperback
Lucky Devils: The True Story of Three Rebel Gamblers Who Beat the Odds and Changed the Game
Chellel, Kit
Hardcover
Compton Street Legend: Notorious Keffe D's Street-Level Accounts of Tupac and Biggie Murders, Death Row Origins, Suge Knight, Puffy Combs, and Crooked
Davis, Duane 'keffe D'
Jah, Yusuf
Paperback
Dig Me a Grave: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Who Seduced the South
Assael, Shaun
Harpootlian, Richard A.
Hardcover
The Assassination of Leon Trotsky: Espionage, Scandal, and the Crime of the Century
Melton, H. Keith
West, Nigel
Hardcover
Who's Watching Shorty?: Reclaiming Myself from the Shame of R. Kelly's Abuse
Landfair, Reshona
Hardcover
The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream
Keefe, Patrick Radden
Paperback
Starstruck: A Journalist's Pursuit of a Fugitive Pop Star, Her Diabolical Maestro, and Their Teenage Sex Cult
McDougall, Christopher
Paperback
The Rembrandt Heist: The Story of a Criminal Genius, a Stolen Masterpiece, and an Enigmatic Friendship
Amore, Anthony M.
Hardcover
Opus: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy Inside the Catholic Church
Gore, Gareth
Paperback
The Monsters We Make: Murder, Obsession, and the Rise of Criminal Profiling
Corbett, Rachel
Hardcover
50 True Stories That Will Scare You to Death: True Crime, Hauntings, Aliens, and More
Krahl, Sebastian
Paperback
Is the Government Legally Killing Us?: Is the Evidence Obvious? How Fear of Death and the Illusion of Freedom Turn Us Into Accomplices to Evil
(Scott Schara), Grace's Dad
Paperback
The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty
Bauerlein, Valerie
Paperback
Confessions of the Green River Killer: A True Story of Manipulation, Madness, and a Search for Justice
Dilorenzo, Maria
Paperback
Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home
Olsen, Gregg
Paperback
People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo--And the Evil That Swallowed Her Up
Parry, Richard Lloyd
Paperback
Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor
Harmon, Mark
Paperback
Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation's Most Elusive Serial Killer
Graysmith, Robert
Paperback
American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
Callahan, Maureen
Paperback
Warden Force: The Worst of the Worst and Other True Game Warden Adventures: Episodes 101-114
Hodges, Terry
Paperback
Dog's Day: The True Story of a Bank Robbery, Gay Liberation, and Toxic Love That Inspired a Hollywood Classic
Prigge, Matthew J.
Hardcover
Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest
Olsen, Gregg
Paperback
She Kills: The Murderous Socialite, the Cross-Dressing Bank Robber, and Other True Crime Tales
Hollandsworth, Skip
Hardcover
Within the House of Murdaugh: Amid a Unique Friendship, Blanca and Maggie
Turrubiate-Simpson, Blanca
Weaver, Mary Frances
Hardcover
El Invencible Verano de Liliana / Liliana's Invincible Summer (Premio Pulitzer)
Rivera Garza, Cristina
Paperback
The Serial Killer Coloring Book II: An Adult Coloring Book Full of Notorious Serial Killers
Rosewood, Jack
Paperback
Warden Force: Deadly Intent and Other True Game Warden Adventures: Episodes 76 - 87
Hodges, Terry
Paperback
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Larson, Erik
Hardcover
What the Dead Know: Learning about Life as a New York City Death Investigator
Butcher, Barbara
Paperback
A Murderer's Guide to Cleaning: And Other Stories from My Life as a Probation Officer
Baxter, Elizabeth
Hardcover
Eleven Days: The Fascinating True Account of Agatha Christie's Mysterious Disappearance
Thompson, Laura
Hardcover
Wired on Wall Street: The Rise and Fall of Tipper X, One of the Fbi's Most Prolific Informants
Hardin, Tom
Hardcover
No Ordinary Bird: Drug Smuggling, a Plane Crash, and a Daughter's Quest for the Truth
Henderson, Artis
Hardcover
The Cases That Haunt Us: From Jack the Ripper to JonBenet Ramsey, the Fbi's Legendary Mindhunter Sheds Light on the Mysteries That Won't Go Away
Olshaker, Mark
Douglas, John E.
Paperback
Swans Don't Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint River Killer's Daughter
McCollum
Paperback
Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud: The Basis for the Documentary Everyone Is Lying to You for Money
Silverman, Jacob
McKenzie, Ben
Paperback
Vida Y Muerte del Cartel de Medellín / Life and Death of the Medellin Cartel
Lehder, Carlos
Paperback
The Carpool Detectives: A True Story of Four Moms, Two Bodies, and One Mysterious Cold Case
Hogan, Chuck
Hardcover
Trapped Under the Sea: One Engineering Marvel, Five Men, and a Disaster Ten Miles Into the Darkness
Swidey, Neil
Paperback
The Secrets of the Séance Society: Illustrated True Stories of Talking to the Dead
Perrin, Lisa
Hardcover