George and Jenny Sodder had ten children, and George ran a trucking company in Fayetteville, West Virginia.
“George runs his own trucking company, Jenny keeps the books, and they have ten kids together.”
Person
Britt Prawat
1 episodes · 23 quoted claims
The Sodder children's bedrooms were on the second floor, not in the attic as originally reported.
“the kids' bedrooms, one for the boys, one for the girls, are upstairs on the second floor, not in the attic as it was originally reported.”
George Sodder's usual ladder against the house was missing when he tried to reach the second floor during the fire.
“George tries getting in through a second floor window. First, he goes for the ladder that's always leaning on the side of the house, but it's mysteriously gone.”
The fire department arrived around 8 a.m., about seven hours after the fire began.
“So he leaves at about eight a m, right around the time the fire department finally arrives.”
Four days after the fire, Jenny Sodder's brother filled in the basement with a bulldozer and the site became a memorial garden.
“Four days after the fire, Jenny's brother fills in the basement with a bulldozer, and the Sodders turn the site into a memorial garden”
Miranda Weeks found a record showing the fire marshal's investigation began on December 27, 1945.
“Miranda found a record that shows the fire marshal's investigation didn't even start until December twenty seventh, two days later.”
A coroner's jury inquest ruled the fire accidental, probably caused by wiring in the office.
“within days, there's a ruling. This was an accidental fire, probably a wiring problem in the office.”
Records state that coins, the kitchen stove, part of a dictionary and pieces of Jenny's coat were found in the wreckage, but no human remains.
“records state that they found coins, the kitchen stove, and also things that are way more flammable than a human body, like part of a dictionary and pieces of Jenny's coat.”
In 1946 Jenny Sodder ran home experiments burning animal bones with accelerants and a coal stove, and could not reduce the bones to ash.
“In 1946, without even telling George, she starts running her own experiments at home. She uses animal bones, different accelerants, keeps a coal stove going all day just to see what happens.”
In 1947 a rumor spread that the fire chief had found a human heart in the ashes and buried it on the Sodder property.
“The fire chief's been telling people that he found a human heart in the ashes the day of the fire, and he buried it on the property.”
A funeral home owner examined the buried box's contents and identified them as a beef liver, not a heart.
“he opens the box and he says, Oh, that's not a heart. That's a beef liver.”
In 1949 a private detective brought a Smithsonian pathologist and fourteen diggers to excavate the burn site for twelve hours.
“A private detective brings in an actual pathologist from the Smithsonian, a guy who'd spent years in the army excavating war graves, and he brings fourteen diggers with him who spend twelve hours at the burn site”
The 1949 excavation found four human lumbar vertebrae from one person, with no other bones nearby.
“four of them are human lumbar vertebrae, all from the same person. No skull, no pelvis, no other bones anywhere nearby.”
A Cincinnati cremation company told the Sodders that two hours at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit leaves recognizable bones.
“a cremation company in Cincinnati told the Sodders something similar, that even two hours at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit leaves bones intact enough to recognize.”
Fire investigator Dale Rice said cremating a body takes roughly 2,000 degrees for two hours of direct flame.
“To cremate a body, you need roughly 2,000 degrees for two hours of direct flame.”
The FBI investigated the Florida lead in 1952 and concluded the children living there were the relatives' own.
“Now that lead was solid enough that the FBI eventually looked into it in 1952.”
In 1952 a hotel operator swore an affidavit that four children matching the Sodder children checked in a few days after the fire.
“She comes forward in 1952 and swears an affidavit saying that just a few days after the fire, four kids matching the Sodder children checked into her hotel.”
In 1935 Fiorenzo Genicculo co-signed for the Sodders' building materials on the condition that he be the beneficiary of the house insurance.
“When the Sodder bought their land in 1935, Fiorenzo co signed for the building materials on the condition that he be made the beneficiary of the house insurance.”
In 1943 George Sodder left Fiorenzo Genicculo's employ to start his own trucking company.
“in 1943, George broke off and started his own trucking company, and Miranda says Fiorenzo did not take it well.”
Before Christmas 1945, the Sodder house insurance was raised from $1,500 to $1,750, with the payout going to Fiorenzo Genicculo.
“the house insurance gets quietly bumped from 1,500 to 1,750.”
Five of the six coroner's inquest jurors had direct ties to Fiorenzo Genicculo, according to Miranda Weeks's research.
“The coroner's inquest that ruled it accidental was made up of six men. Five of them had direct ties to Fiorenzo.”
Fiorenzo Genicculo's granddaughter said he began as a watchmaker in Fayetteville and later owned a jewelry store, a lumberyard and commercial property.
“She told us that Fiorenzo started out in Fayetteville as a watchmaker and then owned a jewelry store and a lumberyard along with some commercial property.”
Miranda Weeks theorizes the children were taken before the fire and that the fire was set as a diversion.
“Her theory is that the kids were part of the plan from the start.”