1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,010 {\an1}- As World War II finally ends, 2 00:00:06,089 --> 00:00:08,679 {\an1}an infamous cold case begins. 3 00:00:08,759 --> 00:00:10,639 {\an1}Five siblings vanish... 4 00:00:11,803 --> 00:00:14,263 {\an1}in an instant. 5 00:00:14,389 --> 00:00:16,268 {\an1}- They didn’t find any traces of these bodies. 6 00:00:16,391 --> 00:00:19,191 {\an1}No bones. Not even a piece of a tooth. 7 00:00:19,269 --> 00:00:21,599 {\an1}Where could these kids have gone? 8 00:00:21,730 --> 00:00:23,520 {\an1}- Now we uncover the top theories 9 00:00:23,607 --> 00:00:26,277 {\an1}surrounding every parent’s worst fear. 10 00:00:26,401 --> 00:00:27,651 {\an1}♪ ♪ 11 00:00:27,736 --> 00:00:31,656 {\an1}- Not only do we have an arson and a kidnapping, 12 00:00:31,740 --> 00:00:33,370 {\an1}but a possible cover-up. 13 00:00:33,450 --> 00:00:34,990 {\an1}- Were they brainwashed? 14 00:00:35,077 --> 00:00:39,117 {\an1}Or did they just not want to be found? 15 00:00:39,248 --> 00:00:42,378 {\an1}- Can new evidence finally reveal answers? 16 00:00:42,459 --> 00:00:44,209 {\an1}What really happened 17 00:00:44,294 --> 00:00:47,094 {\an1}to the notorious Sodder children? 18 00:00:47,214 --> 00:00:49,804 {\an1}[dramatic music] 19 00:00:49,925 --> 00:00:56,775 {\an1}♪ ♪ 20 00:00:56,848 --> 00:01:02,518 {\an1}[music fades] 21 00:01:02,604 --> 00:01:04,774 {\an1}[dramatic orchestral music] 22 00:01:04,855 --> 00:01:07,816 {\an1}Just four months after World War II ends, 23 00:01:07,943 --> 00:01:09,323 {\an1}American troops head home 24 00:01:09,444 --> 00:01:12,864 {\an1}to spend their first post-war holiday with family. 25 00:01:12,948 --> 00:01:15,408 {\an1}One exception: Joseph Sodder, 26 00:01:15,492 --> 00:01:18,952 {\an1}who won’t be back in time to celebrate in his hometown 27 00:01:19,037 --> 00:01:20,707 {\an1}of Fayetteville, West Virginia. 28 00:01:20,789 --> 00:01:23,209 {\an1}- So who was the Sodder family? 29 00:01:23,292 --> 00:01:26,752 {\an1}The parents were George and Jennie. 30 00:01:26,837 --> 00:01:28,587 {\an1}They had 10 kids. 31 00:01:28,672 --> 00:01:31,801 {\an1}Their oldest son was in the army, 32 00:01:31,883 --> 00:01:34,803 {\an1}but nine of their children were home, living with them. 33 00:01:34,886 --> 00:01:36,256 {\an1}[somber music] 34 00:01:36,346 --> 00:01:38,596 {\an1}- Kids are celebrating Christmas Eve. 35 00:01:38,682 --> 00:01:40,732 {\an1}They’re allowed to stay up well past their bedtime. 36 00:01:40,809 --> 00:01:42,848 {\an1}Unbeknownst to them, all of their lives 37 00:01:42,978 --> 00:01:45,558 {\an1}are going to change within a matter of hours. 38 00:01:45,646 --> 00:01:47,017 {\an1}[foreboding music] 39 00:01:47,149 --> 00:01:50,779 {\an1}Fishburne: At 1:00 a.m., Jennie wakes up suddenly. 40 00:01:50,860 --> 00:01:53,241 {\an1}She smells smoke. 41 00:01:53,322 --> 00:01:55,452 {\an1}- She’s startled awake, 42 00:01:55,532 --> 00:01:57,872 {\an1}runs down to her husband’s study 43 00:01:57,993 --> 00:02:00,543 {\an1}where she sees one wall on fire. 44 00:02:00,662 --> 00:02:02,662 {\an1}[suspenseful music] 45 00:02:02,748 --> 00:02:05,328 {\an1}We have to remember that back in the 1940s, 46 00:02:05,417 --> 00:02:08,336 {\an1}smoke detectors had not yet been invented. 47 00:02:08,461 --> 00:02:10,762 {\an1}So by the time that Jennie discovers the fire, 48 00:02:10,839 --> 00:02:12,339 {\an1}there is not much time to get out of the house, 49 00:02:12,466 --> 00:02:15,086 {\an1}’cause the fire’s already roaring in the study. 50 00:02:15,177 --> 00:02:16,757 {\an1}- First thing they do 51 00:02:16,845 --> 00:02:18,885 {\an1}is get the four children out of the house 52 00:02:19,014 --> 00:02:21,064 {\an1}that are on the first floor. 53 00:02:21,183 --> 00:02:23,183 {\an1}And George and Jennie’s bedroom is on the first floor, 54 00:02:23,268 --> 00:02:24,808 {\an1}so this is very easy for them to do. 55 00:02:24,895 --> 00:02:26,275 {\an1}Get them out of the house right away. 56 00:02:26,355 --> 00:02:27,615 {\an1}[flames crackling] 57 00:02:27,689 --> 00:02:29,478 {\an1}Fishburne: Within minutes, George, Jennie, 58 00:02:29,566 --> 00:02:32,066 {\an1}and four of their children run outside. 59 00:02:32,194 --> 00:02:33,744 {\an1}But as far as they know... 60 00:02:33,862 --> 00:02:35,072 {\an1}♪ ♪ 61 00:02:35,197 --> 00:02:37,947 {\an1}The remaining five are trapped upstairs. 62 00:02:38,033 --> 00:02:40,833 {\an1}- When they tried to gain entry to the second floor, 63 00:02:40,911 --> 00:02:43,251 {\an1}the staircase was fully engulfed, 64 00:02:43,372 --> 00:02:45,292 {\an1}and they were unable to save the children 65 00:02:45,374 --> 00:02:46,624 {\an1}that were sleeping upstairs. 66 00:02:46,708 --> 00:02:50,378 {\an1}And within 45 minutes, the house burned down. 67 00:02:50,462 --> 00:02:52,132 {\an1}[somber music] 68 00:02:52,214 --> 00:02:53,594 {\an1}Fishburne: The heartbroken parents 69 00:02:53,715 --> 00:02:56,125 {\an1}assume the remaining five siblings, 70 00:02:56,218 --> 00:02:59,888 {\an1}14-year old Maurice, 12-year-old Martha, 71 00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:03,983 {\an1}10-year-old Louis, 8-year-old Jennie, 72 00:03:04,059 --> 00:03:07,269 {\an1}and 6-year-old Betty are dead. 73 00:03:07,396 --> 00:03:08,726 {\an1}♪ ♪ 74 00:03:08,855 --> 00:03:10,605 {\an1}But could there be more to the story? 75 00:03:10,732 --> 00:03:11,982 {\an1}♪ ♪ 76 00:03:12,067 --> 00:03:13,937 {\an1}- Here’s why it’s such a mystery. 77 00:03:14,069 --> 00:03:16,029 {\an1}None of the remains of the five children 78 00:03:16,113 --> 00:03:18,823 {\an1}were ever found in the debris of the fire. 79 00:03:18,907 --> 00:03:19,777 {\an1}- No trace. 80 00:03:19,908 --> 00:03:21,028 {\an1}[dramatic music] 81 00:03:21,118 --> 00:03:22,038 {\an1}No bones. 82 00:03:22,119 --> 00:03:23,159 {\an1}No nothing. 83 00:03:23,245 --> 00:03:24,915 {\an1}Fishburne: Despite this, 84 00:03:24,996 --> 00:03:28,246 {\an1}authorities quickly jump to the simplest conclusion. 85 00:03:28,333 --> 00:03:31,843 {\an1}♪ ♪ 86 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:34,420 {\an1}- The official word was that the children died 87 00:03:34,548 --> 00:03:37,758 {\an1}in the fire caused by an electrical issue. 88 00:03:37,843 --> 00:03:40,763 {\an1}But we have an investigation that was questionable, 89 00:03:40,846 --> 00:03:42,216 {\an1}at best. 90 00:03:42,305 --> 00:03:43,805 {\an1}- As part of their investigation 91 00:03:43,932 --> 00:03:45,232 {\an1}after they arrived on the scene, 92 00:03:45,308 --> 00:03:48,728 {\an1}they interviewed Jennie and George as to what happened. 93 00:03:48,812 --> 00:03:50,862 {\an1}Fishburne: When Jennie first sees the fire 94 00:03:50,939 --> 00:03:53,728 {\an1}in George’s office, she reports it’s burning 95 00:03:53,817 --> 00:03:56,187 {\an1}near an electrical box on the wall. 96 00:03:56,278 --> 00:03:59,567 {\an1}The fire department believes the blaze accelerated 97 00:03:59,656 --> 00:04:01,316 {\an1}up through the wall. 98 00:04:01,450 --> 00:04:02,580 {\an1}♪ ♪ 99 00:04:02,659 --> 00:04:03,909 {\an1}- The fire appeared to have burned 100 00:04:03,994 --> 00:04:05,294 {\an1}very quickly. 101 00:04:05,370 --> 00:04:07,540 {\an1}One of the theories out there is that the construction 102 00:04:07,622 --> 00:04:10,462 {\an1}of the house was what is called "balloon construction." 103 00:04:10,542 --> 00:04:13,842 {\an1}That is to say that it had vertical rafters 104 00:04:13,962 --> 00:04:15,212 {\an1}from the basement 105 00:04:15,297 --> 00:04:17,417 {\an1}running directly up to the second floor, 106 00:04:17,507 --> 00:04:19,337 {\an1}creating a void space, 107 00:04:19,468 --> 00:04:22,428 {\an1}which, if the fire started inside the walls, 108 00:04:22,512 --> 00:04:25,182 {\an1}it would’ve created the perfect chimney effect 109 00:04:25,307 --> 00:04:29,557 {\an1}and very quickly burned up through to the roof area. 110 00:04:29,644 --> 00:04:31,064 {\an1}Fishburne: George tells authorities 111 00:04:31,146 --> 00:04:34,226 {\an1}that after evacuating the four children downstairs, 112 00:04:34,316 --> 00:04:36,566 {\an1}he next tried repeatedly to rescue 113 00:04:36,651 --> 00:04:38,241 {\an1}the siblings upstairs. 114 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:39,490 {\an1}[suspenseful music] 115 00:04:39,571 --> 00:04:41,361 {\an1}- Five of the children were upstairs 116 00:04:41,490 --> 00:04:43,490 {\an1}on the second floor. 117 00:04:43,617 --> 00:04:45,657 {\an1}And they were unable to get out. 118 00:04:45,744 --> 00:04:48,294 {\an1}And the fire is out of control. 119 00:04:48,371 --> 00:04:50,161 {\an1}There’s too much smoke and he’s unable 120 00:04:50,290 --> 00:04:51,370 {\an1}to go to the second floor, 121 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,630 {\an1}where the five children are sleeping. 122 00:04:54,711 --> 00:04:56,171 {\an1}Fishburne: George screams to the kids 123 00:04:56,254 --> 00:04:58,594 {\an1}from the bottom of the stairs... 124 00:04:58,673 --> 00:05:00,433 {\an1}but hears nothing. 125 00:05:00,509 --> 00:05:02,049 {\an1}- He goes back out to the barrel of water 126 00:05:02,177 --> 00:05:05,007 {\an1}he has outside to put out the fire. 127 00:05:05,096 --> 00:05:07,806 {\an1}♪ ♪ 128 00:05:07,891 --> 00:05:10,441 {\an1}But he finds the barrel’s frozen solid. 129 00:05:10,519 --> 00:05:12,309 {\an1}- He runs, looking for the ladder 130 00:05:12,395 --> 00:05:14,765 {\an1}that was on the side of the building. 131 00:05:14,856 --> 00:05:18,816 {\an1}The ladder that normally is there is no longer there, 132 00:05:18,902 --> 00:05:22,242 {\an1}and he doesn’t know where it was or who took it. 133 00:05:22,364 --> 00:05:24,324 {\an1}- So then he thinks he’s gonna use his trucks 134 00:05:24,407 --> 00:05:25,657 {\an1}and he had two trucks. 135 00:05:25,742 --> 00:05:27,792 {\an1}He was gonna pull those trucks up to the house, 136 00:05:27,869 --> 00:05:30,369 {\an1}get on the roof to try to access the second floor. 137 00:05:30,497 --> 00:05:33,287 {\an1}But unfortunately, neither truck would start that night. 138 00:05:33,375 --> 00:05:34,755 {\an1}♪ ♪ 139 00:05:34,876 --> 00:05:37,916 {\an1}Fishburne: Jennie has a similar experience. 140 00:05:38,046 --> 00:05:40,546 {\an1}- So while George is trying to rescue the children 141 00:05:40,674 --> 00:05:42,224 {\an1}on the second floor, Jennie tries 142 00:05:42,342 --> 00:05:45,012 {\an1}to call the fire department using their home phone. 143 00:05:45,095 --> 00:05:46,645 {\an1}But the line is dead. 144 00:05:46,721 --> 00:05:48,811 {\an1}♪ ♪ 145 00:05:48,890 --> 00:05:51,600 {\an1}So then Jennie sends her daughter Marion 146 00:05:51,726 --> 00:05:54,266 {\an1}to a neighbor’s house to try to call the fire department. 147 00:05:54,396 --> 00:05:56,766 {\an1}But Marion is unable to get through. 148 00:05:56,898 --> 00:05:57,978 {\an1}♪ ♪ 149 00:05:58,066 --> 00:05:59,356 {\an1}Fishburne: Eventually, 150 00:05:59,442 --> 00:06:02,572 {\an1}a passing motorist offers to drive into town 151 00:06:02,654 --> 00:06:04,244 {\an1}and alert the fire chief. 152 00:06:04,322 --> 00:06:06,782 {\an1}- During this time in 1945, 153 00:06:06,908 --> 00:06:09,698 {\an1}most of the fire departments in that part of the country 154 00:06:09,786 --> 00:06:11,616 {\an1}were volunteer fire departments. 155 00:06:11,746 --> 00:06:14,826 {\an1}So when a fire would come in, it was up to the fire chief 156 00:06:14,916 --> 00:06:17,836 {\an1}to start calling everybody to come to the firehouse, 157 00:06:17,919 --> 00:06:19,089 {\an1}pick up their equipment, 158 00:06:19,170 --> 00:06:20,550 {\an1}and then rush over to the scene. 159 00:06:20,630 --> 00:06:22,420 {\an1}[bell ringing] So as a result of that, 160 00:06:22,549 --> 00:06:24,429 {\an1}the response time was quite lengthy. 161 00:06:24,509 --> 00:06:26,009 {\an1}[siren wailing] 162 00:06:26,094 --> 00:06:29,354 {\an1}Fishburne: Seven hours after the blaze first ignites, 163 00:06:29,431 --> 00:06:31,521 {\an1}fire trucks finally arrive. 164 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,850 {\an1}- When the fire department finally shows up, 165 00:06:33,935 --> 00:06:37,805 {\an1}they spend, at most, a couple of hours 166 00:06:37,939 --> 00:06:39,689 {\an1}and they make a determination 167 00:06:39,774 --> 00:06:42,904 {\an1}that the fire was caused by an electrical issue 168 00:06:42,986 --> 00:06:45,446 {\an1}and that the five children who were sleeping 169 00:06:45,530 --> 00:06:48,830 {\an1}on the second floor all perished in the fire. 170 00:06:48,950 --> 00:06:50,870 {\an1}Within five days, 171 00:06:50,952 --> 00:06:52,912 {\an1}even though there were no remains, 172 00:06:52,996 --> 00:06:55,496 {\an1}the coroner’s inquest ruled 173 00:06:55,624 --> 00:06:57,214 {\an1}that these children died in the fire 174 00:06:57,292 --> 00:06:59,342 {\an1}as a result of an accident. 175 00:06:59,461 --> 00:07:03,381 {\an1}Even going so far as to issuing death certificates. 176 00:07:03,465 --> 00:07:08,645 {\an1}♪ ♪ 177 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,890 {\an1}- The fire marshal tells Jennie 178 00:07:10,972 --> 00:07:14,522 {\an1}he believes that as a result of the fire burning so hot, 179 00:07:14,643 --> 00:07:18,443 {\an1}it consumed the bones, the organs, and everything else 180 00:07:18,521 --> 00:07:21,441 {\an1}associated with the human body. 181 00:07:21,524 --> 00:07:23,904 {\an1}Fishburne: But without concrete physical evidence 182 00:07:23,985 --> 00:07:26,775 {\an1}of death, George and Jennie hold out hope 183 00:07:26,863 --> 00:07:29,123 {\an1}that their children somehow escaped. 184 00:07:29,199 --> 00:07:30,949 {\an1}- Jennie doesn’t end up believing 185 00:07:31,034 --> 00:07:33,744 {\an1}the fire chief’s explanation that the kids died in the fire 186 00:07:33,828 --> 00:07:34,998 {\an1}and that they’re gone. 187 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,370 {\an1}They didn’t find any traces of these bodies. 188 00:07:37,499 --> 00:07:39,579 {\an1}No bones. Not even a piece of a tooth. 189 00:07:39,668 --> 00:07:41,588 {\an1}Jennie starts to feel like 190 00:07:41,670 --> 00:07:43,880 {\an1}there’s something else going on. 191 00:07:44,005 --> 00:07:47,295 {\an1}- She goes and speaks to a local crematorium 192 00:07:47,384 --> 00:07:48,634 {\an1}and they tell her 193 00:07:48,718 --> 00:07:51,008 {\an1}that bones--at least the fragments of bones-- 194 00:07:51,137 --> 00:07:53,467 {\an1}usually survive all fires. 195 00:07:53,556 --> 00:07:56,226 {\an1}When you cremate a body at a crematorium, 196 00:07:56,351 --> 00:07:57,941 {\an1}you’re exposing it to temperatures 197 00:07:58,019 --> 00:08:01,359 {\an1}of approximately 2,000 degrees for several hours. 198 00:08:01,439 --> 00:08:03,819 {\an1}And even after that type of temperature, 199 00:08:03,900 --> 00:08:06,610 {\an1}they have to be grounded up to make ’em into dust 200 00:08:06,695 --> 00:08:08,495 {\an1}when they’re given to their loved ones 201 00:08:08,571 --> 00:08:10,571 {\an1}in the urns. 202 00:08:10,699 --> 00:08:12,619 {\an1}Fishburne: And George has his own reason 203 00:08:12,701 --> 00:08:15,541 {\an1}to doubt the fire department’s conclusion. 204 00:08:15,662 --> 00:08:18,412 {\an1}- George keeps falling back on two pieces of evidence 205 00:08:18,540 --> 00:08:21,420 {\an1}that, in his mind, this fire’s not accidental. 206 00:08:21,543 --> 00:08:24,253 {\an1}One is that during the fire, 207 00:08:24,379 --> 00:08:26,669 {\an1}he noticed that there were still lights remaining 208 00:08:26,756 --> 00:08:28,086 {\an1}in certain parts of the house 209 00:08:28,216 --> 00:08:30,506 {\an1}while the building was burning. 210 00:08:30,593 --> 00:08:33,472 {\an1}So in his mind is how can this be an electrical fire 211 00:08:33,554 --> 00:08:36,475 {\an1}if you still have lights on in the building? 212 00:08:36,558 --> 00:08:37,928 {\an1}- But also just a few months prior, 213 00:08:38,058 --> 00:08:39,889 {\an1}he had actually brought in an electrician 214 00:08:39,977 --> 00:08:41,688 {\an1}to check the wiring of the house. 215 00:08:41,770 --> 00:08:43,811 {\an1}The electrician gave it a passing grade 216 00:08:43,898 --> 00:08:45,228 {\an1}and George starts wondering 217 00:08:45,358 --> 00:08:46,648 {\an1}if there’s something else going on. 218 00:08:46,735 --> 00:08:48,195 {\an1}Now it is possible 219 00:08:48,278 --> 00:08:49,818 {\an1}that the electrician might’ve missed something. 220 00:08:49,904 --> 00:08:51,994 {\an1}You know, he is human after all. 221 00:08:52,073 --> 00:08:53,873 {\an1}Or it’s possible that between the time 222 00:08:53,950 --> 00:08:56,700 {\an1}of the electrician showing up and Christmas Eve 223 00:08:56,786 --> 00:08:59,206 {\an1}something else went on in that house. 224 00:08:59,289 --> 00:09:00,829 {\an1}Fishburne: Authorities soon discover 225 00:09:00,915 --> 00:09:04,085 {\an1}what that something else might be. 226 00:09:04,169 --> 00:09:05,839 {\an1}- So if you remember, Jennie actually tried 227 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,170 {\an1}to contact the fire chief the night of the fire, 228 00:09:08,256 --> 00:09:10,126 {\an1}but her phone wasn’t working. 229 00:09:10,258 --> 00:09:12,718 {\an1}So the police investigate that a few days later, 230 00:09:12,802 --> 00:09:15,562 {\an1}and what they find could alter the entire course 231 00:09:15,638 --> 00:09:17,518 {\an1}of the investigation, because they find 232 00:09:17,599 --> 00:09:18,849 {\an1}the phone lines have been cut. 233 00:09:22,729 --> 00:09:24,309 {\an1}[foreboding music] 234 00:09:24,439 --> 00:09:26,439 {\an1}Fishburne: When five siblings seemingly perish 235 00:09:26,566 --> 00:09:28,476 {\an1}in a devastating house fire, 236 00:09:28,610 --> 00:09:31,610 {\an1}investigators initially see nothing suspicious. 237 00:09:31,738 --> 00:09:34,278 {\an1}They quickly rule that an electrical fire 238 00:09:34,365 --> 00:09:36,775 {\an1}caused their deaths. 239 00:09:36,868 --> 00:09:39,618 {\an1}But then they make a startling discovery. 240 00:09:39,704 --> 00:09:43,964 {\an1}Telephone lines outside the house have been severed. 241 00:09:44,042 --> 00:09:47,632 {\an1}Is it possible the fire was no accident? 242 00:09:47,712 --> 00:09:49,302 {\an1}- It is my opinion 243 00:09:49,422 --> 00:09:51,632 {\an1}that this fire was intentionally set. 244 00:09:51,716 --> 00:09:54,636 {\an1}[sinister music] 245 00:09:54,719 --> 00:09:56,389 {\an1}♪ ♪ 246 00:09:56,471 --> 00:09:59,971 {\an1}Classifying a fire as an arson instead of an accidental fire 247 00:10:00,100 --> 00:10:02,980 {\an1}has a lot of implications, because an arson connotates 248 00:10:03,061 --> 00:10:04,651 {\an1}that there is a crime that’s been committed, 249 00:10:04,729 --> 00:10:06,979 {\an1}and if they would’ve found the remains of the children, 250 00:10:07,065 --> 00:10:09,155 {\an1}it’d be classified as a homicide. 251 00:10:09,234 --> 00:10:10,994 {\an1}♪ ♪ 252 00:10:11,069 --> 00:10:12,989 {\an1}- But it’s interesting because the police just kind of 253 00:10:13,071 --> 00:10:15,621 {\an1}brushed this off, and they don’t really look into that. 254 00:10:15,698 --> 00:10:18,408 {\an1}Fishburne: But maybe they should’ve. 255 00:10:18,493 --> 00:10:20,333 {\an1}Because as it turns out, 256 00:10:20,453 --> 00:10:23,043 {\an1}George was far from well-liked in Fayetteville. 257 00:10:23,164 --> 00:10:26,334 {\an1}- I think authorities are missing the background story. 258 00:10:26,459 --> 00:10:29,339 {\an1}What was going on prior to the fire? 259 00:10:29,462 --> 00:10:31,212 {\an1}George had a lot of enemies, we’ve learned, 260 00:10:31,339 --> 00:10:33,169 {\an1}and he had conflict 261 00:10:33,258 --> 00:10:36,388 {\an1}with other Italian immigrants in that area. 262 00:10:36,511 --> 00:10:39,351 {\an1}- George Sodder, actually born Giorgio Soddu, 263 00:10:39,430 --> 00:10:42,180 {\an1}in Sardinia, Italy, in 1895, 264 00:10:42,267 --> 00:10:45,387 {\an1}emigrated to the United States when he was only 13 years old. 265 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,690 {\an1}Years later, George moves to Smithers, West Virginia. 266 00:10:48,773 --> 00:10:50,523 {\an1}He finds work as a truck driver 267 00:10:50,608 --> 00:10:52,568 {\an1}and eventually gets to start his own company. 268 00:10:52,694 --> 00:10:56,034 {\an1}And he meets his future wife, Jennie, 269 00:10:56,114 --> 00:10:58,534 {\an1}who’s a fellow Italian emigrant. 270 00:10:58,616 --> 00:10:59,906 {\an1}Fishburne: The new couple moves 271 00:11:00,034 --> 00:11:01,874 {\an1}to Fayetteville, West Virginia, 272 00:11:01,953 --> 00:11:04,163 {\an1}a small town with a large population 273 00:11:04,247 --> 00:11:06,537 {\an1}of Italian Americans. 274 00:11:06,666 --> 00:11:08,786 {\an1}- Once George and Jennie settle down, 275 00:11:08,877 --> 00:11:10,457 {\an1}they moved to a little wood-framed house 276 00:11:10,545 --> 00:11:12,885 {\an1}about two miles outside of town, 277 00:11:12,964 --> 00:11:16,304 {\an1}and they have their first son, Joe, in 1923 278 00:11:16,384 --> 00:11:17,844 {\an1}and really kind of start making their way 279 00:11:17,927 --> 00:11:20,887 {\an1}as a well-respected middle-class family, 280 00:11:20,972 --> 00:11:22,642 {\an1}at least at first. 281 00:11:22,724 --> 00:11:25,814 {\an1}Fishburne: But George’s outspoken political beliefs 282 00:11:25,894 --> 00:11:27,694 {\an1}alienate some neighbors. 283 00:11:27,770 --> 00:11:31,150 {\an1}- It is very common for people that come to America 284 00:11:31,232 --> 00:11:32,732 {\an1}from another country to wanna live 285 00:11:32,859 --> 00:11:35,899 {\an1}in the same type of community that they’re used to, 286 00:11:36,029 --> 00:11:37,409 {\an1}because it’s familiar to them. 287 00:11:37,488 --> 00:11:39,448 {\an1}[tense music] 288 00:11:39,574 --> 00:11:41,624 {\an1}So George has a lot in common 289 00:11:41,743 --> 00:11:44,123 {\an1}with these other people in his community, 290 00:11:44,245 --> 00:11:46,785 {\an1}but politically, he does not favor 291 00:11:46,915 --> 00:11:49,425 {\an1}the ruling of Benito Mussolini 292 00:11:49,500 --> 00:11:51,840 {\an1}and makes it known to the public. 293 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,510 {\an1}- At the time, Mussolini’s incredibly popular, 294 00:11:54,589 --> 00:11:57,929 {\an1}both with Italians at home and abroad, 295 00:11:58,051 --> 00:11:59,801 {\an1}and especially in Fayetteville, West Virginia, 296 00:11:59,928 --> 00:12:02,968 {\an1}which kind of leaves George as the odd man out. 297 00:12:03,097 --> 00:12:04,677 {\an1}- George is telling everybody, 298 00:12:04,766 --> 00:12:06,426 {\an1}"I don’t like what Mussolini’s doing." 299 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,269 {\an1}And he makes it known to one person in particular, 300 00:12:10,396 --> 00:12:12,726 {\an1}Cleante Gros Janutolo. 301 00:12:12,815 --> 00:12:16,065 {\an1}During that time, Cleante Gros, C.G., 302 00:12:16,152 --> 00:12:18,992 {\an1}is a local banker, and a local businessman, 303 00:12:19,113 --> 00:12:21,373 {\an1}and has fingers in just about everything 304 00:12:21,449 --> 00:12:22,659 {\an1}in the local community. 305 00:12:22,784 --> 00:12:25,954 {\an1}Fishburne: Janutolo has many unusual connections 306 00:12:26,037 --> 00:12:27,157 {\an1}to George Sodder. 307 00:12:27,288 --> 00:12:29,618 {\an1}- C.G. Janutolo is the director 308 00:12:29,707 --> 00:12:31,707 {\an1}of the Fayette County Bank. 309 00:12:31,793 --> 00:12:34,803 {\an1}He also is the employer of George Sodder. 310 00:12:34,921 --> 00:12:37,301 {\an1}And George Sodder has a mortgage 311 00:12:37,423 --> 00:12:40,973 {\an1}that is written by the Fayette County Bank, 312 00:12:41,094 --> 00:12:42,974 {\an1}which has an insurance provision 313 00:12:43,096 --> 00:12:47,556 {\an1}that Mr. Janutolo will benefit if there’s a fire at the home. 314 00:12:47,642 --> 00:12:49,232 {\an1}♪ ♪ 315 00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:52,810 {\an1}- Yeah, this is where I have a real problem with this case, 316 00:12:52,897 --> 00:12:56,357 {\an1}because the person that is the benefactor of this home, 317 00:12:56,484 --> 00:12:58,324 {\an1}should it be destroyed by fire 318 00:12:58,444 --> 00:13:00,864 {\an1}or any other type of natural disaster, 319 00:13:00,989 --> 00:13:02,739 {\an1}is this C.G. Janutolo. 320 00:13:02,824 --> 00:13:04,284 {\an1}Most banks don’t do that. 321 00:13:04,367 --> 00:13:07,367 {\an1}Most banks have the bank be the benefactor, 322 00:13:07,495 --> 00:13:09,245 {\an1}not an officer within the bank. 323 00:13:09,330 --> 00:13:11,210 {\an1}♪ ♪ 324 00:13:11,332 --> 00:13:12,542 {\an1}- In today’s times, 325 00:13:12,667 --> 00:13:14,997 {\an1}it would be not only a conflict of interest, 326 00:13:15,128 --> 00:13:18,008 {\an1}but it would be illegal for Mr. Janutolo 327 00:13:18,131 --> 00:13:20,381 {\an1}to hold a financial interest 328 00:13:20,508 --> 00:13:22,338 {\an1}in the property of George Sodder. 329 00:13:22,468 --> 00:13:23,678 {\an1}♪ ♪ 330 00:13:23,803 --> 00:13:25,353 {\an1}Fishburne: Just two months before the fire 331 00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:27,101 {\an1}and without Sodder’s knowledge, 332 00:13:27,181 --> 00:13:29,681 {\an1}Janutolo increases the insurance payout amount 333 00:13:29,767 --> 00:13:36,607 {\an1}to $1,750, almost $27,000 today. 334 00:13:36,691 --> 00:13:39,361 {\an1}- Janutolo’s greed didn’t stop there. 335 00:13:39,485 --> 00:13:41,605 {\an1}So about 60 days before the fire, 336 00:13:41,696 --> 00:13:43,356 {\an1}he ends up sending one of his good friends, 337 00:13:43,448 --> 00:13:45,278 {\an1}Russell Long, an insurance broker, 338 00:13:45,366 --> 00:13:46,526 {\an1}to George’s house. 339 00:13:46,659 --> 00:13:48,699 {\an1}And at George’s house, Russell Long attempts 340 00:13:48,828 --> 00:13:51,208 {\an1}to sell him life insurance for his kids. 341 00:13:51,331 --> 00:13:52,711 {\an1}♪ ♪ 342 00:13:52,832 --> 00:13:55,542 {\an1}Fishburne: When George refuses the extra insurance, 343 00:13:55,626 --> 00:13:58,376 {\an1}Janutolo allegedly makes a chilling threat. 344 00:13:58,504 --> 00:14:01,134 {\an1}- Janutolo gets very angry and threatens him. 345 00:14:01,215 --> 00:14:03,675 {\an1}He says his house is gonna go up in smoke 346 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,550 {\an1}and his children are gonna be destroyed. 347 00:14:06,637 --> 00:14:10,387 {\an1}And he also says that George will pay 348 00:14:10,475 --> 00:14:13,315 {\an1}for the dirty things that he had been saying 349 00:14:13,394 --> 00:14:15,904 {\an1}about Mussolini. 350 00:14:16,022 --> 00:14:18,112 {\an1}- Let’s put the pieces of the puzzle together. 351 00:14:18,232 --> 00:14:19,902 {\an1}Janutolo shows up at the house, 352 00:14:20,026 --> 00:14:22,646 {\an1}threatens George, the very individual 353 00:14:22,737 --> 00:14:24,737 {\an1}who was set to collect money 354 00:14:24,822 --> 00:14:26,742 {\an1}if and when the house was destroyed. 355 00:14:26,866 --> 00:14:29,446 {\an1}The house does, in fact, burn down. 356 00:14:29,577 --> 00:14:30,947 {\an1}And this starts putting everything together 357 00:14:31,079 --> 00:14:33,409 {\an1}that this was, in fact, an arson, 358 00:14:33,539 --> 00:14:35,169 {\an1}and not an accidental fire 359 00:14:35,249 --> 00:14:38,289 {\an1}as claimed by the local authorities. 360 00:14:38,419 --> 00:14:41,459 {\an1}Fishburne: But what about the cut phone lines? 361 00:14:41,589 --> 00:14:44,009 {\an1}- If Janutolo would’ve also cut the phone line 362 00:14:44,092 --> 00:14:46,642 {\an1}that was found cut the day after the fire, 363 00:14:46,761 --> 00:14:49,051 {\an1}he would be the prime suspect. 364 00:14:49,138 --> 00:14:50,808 {\an1}But, in fact, he isn’t. [siren wailing] 365 00:14:50,932 --> 00:14:54,182 {\an1}There is another suspect that comes to surface. 366 00:14:54,268 --> 00:14:57,768 {\an1}Several days after the fire, an individual is arrested 367 00:14:57,855 --> 00:15:00,185 {\an1}in possession of a block and tackle. 368 00:15:00,274 --> 00:15:03,244 {\an1}A block and tackle is used to lift a heavy object. 369 00:15:03,319 --> 00:15:05,449 {\an1}This block and tackle, as it turns out, 370 00:15:05,571 --> 00:15:07,491 {\an1}belongs to George. 371 00:15:07,615 --> 00:15:09,195 {\an1}The thief, while he’s being interviewed, 372 00:15:09,283 --> 00:15:11,993 {\an1}admits that yes, he did steal the block and tackle. 373 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,620 {\an1}But he insists that he did not start the fire. 374 00:15:15,748 --> 00:15:18,288 {\an1}He was just present when the fire was burning 375 00:15:18,376 --> 00:15:21,796 {\an1}and used that as a distraction to steal the block and tackle. 376 00:15:21,879 --> 00:15:23,799 {\an1}♪ ♪ 377 00:15:23,881 --> 00:15:25,971 {\an1}- Do we believe the thief’s story? 378 00:15:26,092 --> 00:15:27,972 {\an1}Sure, he could have just been there 379 00:15:28,052 --> 00:15:29,222 {\an1}to steal the block and tackle, 380 00:15:29,303 --> 00:15:31,723 {\an1}but why would somebody go all the way out 381 00:15:31,806 --> 00:15:35,476 {\an1}to George’s property just to steal that one small thing? 382 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,480 {\an1}He could have been there to start the fire 383 00:15:37,562 --> 00:15:39,692 {\an1}and used the block-and-tackle theft 384 00:15:39,814 --> 00:15:43,194 {\an1}as a red herring to lead the investigation astray. 385 00:15:43,317 --> 00:15:45,067 {\an1}And it’s very plausible 386 00:15:45,153 --> 00:15:47,243 {\an1}that this thief was actually sent 387 00:15:47,321 --> 00:15:50,201 {\an1}by somebody like Janutolo himself. 388 00:15:50,324 --> 00:15:52,164 {\an1}- It appears that the authorities 389 00:15:52,243 --> 00:15:54,503 {\an1}believed what the thief told them. 390 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:56,660 {\an1}And also they don’t bring in Janutolo 391 00:15:56,789 --> 00:15:59,579 {\an1}to question him further about his possible involvement 392 00:15:59,667 --> 00:16:01,707 {\an1}in this fire. 393 00:16:01,836 --> 00:16:04,506 {\an1}But in my profession, 394 00:16:04,589 --> 00:16:07,009 {\an1}as an investigator for 33 years, 395 00:16:07,091 --> 00:16:09,341 {\an1}I have found that there is no coincidences. 396 00:16:09,427 --> 00:16:10,587 {\an1}♪ ♪ 397 00:16:10,678 --> 00:16:12,178 {\an1}Fishburne: Whether the cause is arson 398 00:16:12,305 --> 00:16:16,355 {\an1}or electrical, another question remains: 399 00:16:16,434 --> 00:16:19,484 {\an1}did the five children die in the fire? 400 00:16:19,562 --> 00:16:20,732 {\an1}To answer that, 401 00:16:20,855 --> 00:16:24,235 {\an1}George starts his own investigation, 402 00:16:24,358 --> 00:16:28,358 {\an1}and in 1949, makes a shocking find. 403 00:16:28,446 --> 00:16:30,026 {\an1}- A few years after the fire, 404 00:16:30,114 --> 00:16:33,034 {\an1}George had an excavation done of the site 405 00:16:33,159 --> 00:16:36,999 {\an1}and they did recover what they believed might be human bones. 406 00:16:37,079 --> 00:16:39,709 {\an1}And they sent those bones to the Smithsonian, 407 00:16:39,790 --> 00:16:43,710 {\an1}and an expert there said it was, in fact, human vertebrae 408 00:16:43,836 --> 00:16:47,336 {\an1}potentially from a young man 409 00:16:47,423 --> 00:16:51,553 {\an1}between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. 410 00:16:51,677 --> 00:16:53,047 {\an1}Fishburne: If the bones were indeed 411 00:16:53,179 --> 00:16:55,099 {\an1}from one of the children, 412 00:16:55,223 --> 00:16:57,933 {\an1}the only possible match could be Maurice... 413 00:16:58,059 --> 00:17:02,229 {\an1}14 years old at the time of the fire. 414 00:17:02,355 --> 00:17:05,905 {\an1}- Despite the fact that the report says 415 00:17:06,025 --> 00:17:08,565 {\an1}that these were vertebrae from a male 416 00:17:08,653 --> 00:17:11,242 {\an1}between the ages of 16 and 24, 417 00:17:11,364 --> 00:17:13,243 {\an1}there’s still enough uncertainty 418 00:17:13,366 --> 00:17:17,236 {\an1}that a 14-year-old could have been within that range. 419 00:17:17,369 --> 00:17:20,040 {\an1}However, what is interesting 420 00:17:20,122 --> 00:17:24,132 {\an1}is that the report also notes that there didn’t appear 421 00:17:24,252 --> 00:17:27,172 {\an1}to be any evidence of charring on the bones. 422 00:17:27,255 --> 00:17:30,925 {\an1}That would be very unexpected for someone who was cremated 423 00:17:31,008 --> 00:17:32,258 {\an1}in a fire. 424 00:17:32,385 --> 00:17:35,435 {\an1}So we have to ask whose bones are these? 425 00:17:35,513 --> 00:17:39,103 {\an1}Were they already there before the fire started? 426 00:17:39,225 --> 00:17:40,685 {\an1}Or were they part of the dirt 427 00:17:40,768 --> 00:17:43,398 {\an1}that was used to bulldoze over the site? 428 00:17:43,479 --> 00:17:46,269 {\an1}Unfortunately, we’ll never know. 429 00:17:46,357 --> 00:17:48,107 {\an1}Fishburne: Even though the Sodders were disappointed 430 00:17:48,234 --> 00:17:51,954 {\an1}with the excavation results, it reinforces their hope 431 00:17:52,029 --> 00:17:54,619 {\an1}that their children still could be alive. 432 00:17:54,740 --> 00:17:55,990 {\an1}[mysterious music] 433 00:17:56,117 --> 00:17:57,617 {\an1}- It’s clear that the fire happened 434 00:17:57,743 --> 00:17:59,123 {\an1}and burnt down the house. 435 00:17:59,245 --> 00:18:00,875 {\an1}And it’s clear that the investigation 436 00:18:00,955 --> 00:18:06,005 {\an1}that was done after the fire was incomplete, at best. 437 00:18:06,127 --> 00:18:08,457 {\an1}And it’s also clear that the remains 438 00:18:08,546 --> 00:18:10,796 {\an1}of the children were never found. 439 00:18:10,923 --> 00:18:13,183 {\an1}So in George’s and Jennie’s mind, 440 00:18:13,301 --> 00:18:16,011 {\an1}their children are not dead. 441 00:18:16,137 --> 00:18:17,637 {\an1}- George and Jennie, 442 00:18:17,763 --> 00:18:19,813 {\an1}because they’re not getting answers, 443 00:18:19,890 --> 00:18:23,350 {\an1}seek the public’s help and they ask for anybody 444 00:18:23,477 --> 00:18:25,307 {\an1}knowing what happened to their children 445 00:18:25,438 --> 00:18:27,308 {\an1}to contact them. 446 00:18:27,398 --> 00:18:28,818 {\an1}♪ ♪ 447 00:18:32,653 --> 00:18:33,533 {\an1}Fishburne: When their home burned down early 448 00:18:33,654 --> 00:18:35,364 {\an1}on Christmas morning, 1945, 449 00:18:35,489 --> 00:18:38,329 {\an1}did five Sodder children die in the blaze? 450 00:18:38,409 --> 00:18:39,869 {\an1}[dramatic music] 451 00:18:39,994 --> 00:18:42,664 {\an1}That’s what fire investigators believe. 452 00:18:42,788 --> 00:18:46,708 {\an1}But the Sodder parents are not convinced. 453 00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:48,424 {\an1}♪ ♪ 454 00:18:48,502 --> 00:18:52,212 {\an1}- Over time, understanding that no remains were found 455 00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:55,760 {\an1}and that the fire was most likely caused by arson, 456 00:18:55,843 --> 00:18:58,353 {\an1}Jennie and George wanted to get some answers. 457 00:18:58,471 --> 00:19:01,181 {\an1}♪ ♪ 458 00:19:01,265 --> 00:19:03,595 {\an1}- If law enforcement are not gonna step up to the plate, 459 00:19:03,684 --> 00:19:04,814 {\an1}who else is gonna do it? 460 00:19:04,894 --> 00:19:07,024 {\an1}Nobody else has more on the line than you do. 461 00:19:07,146 --> 00:19:09,396 {\an1}- So as parents would do, 462 00:19:09,523 --> 00:19:12,193 {\an1}they get desperate to try and find their children. 463 00:19:12,318 --> 00:19:15,948 {\an1}So seven years after the fire, 464 00:19:16,030 --> 00:19:20,450 {\an1}they erect a billboard in their area. 465 00:19:20,534 --> 00:19:22,954 {\an1}George and Jennie offer a reward 466 00:19:23,037 --> 00:19:25,367 {\an1}for any information about their children. 467 00:19:25,456 --> 00:19:27,616 {\an1}The offer is at $5,000 in the beginning 468 00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:29,708 {\an1}and eventually increases to $10,000. 469 00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:32,205 {\an1}♪ ♪ 470 00:19:32,338 --> 00:19:34,878 {\an1}Which is a lot of money back then. 471 00:19:34,965 --> 00:19:38,715 {\an1}Fishburne: Eventually, that investment pays off. 472 00:19:38,844 --> 00:19:41,894 {\an1}- A woman comes forward named Ida Crutchfield, 473 00:19:42,014 --> 00:19:44,814 {\an1}and she has information about the children. 474 00:19:44,892 --> 00:19:46,392 {\an1}Fishburne: Crutchfield runs a motel 475 00:19:46,519 --> 00:19:48,349 {\an1}in Charleston, West Virginia, 476 00:19:48,437 --> 00:19:51,727 {\an1}about 60 miles away from George and Jennie’s home. 477 00:19:51,857 --> 00:19:52,977 {\an1}- According to Ida, 478 00:19:53,067 --> 00:19:56,487 {\an1}about a week after the fire, four children 479 00:19:56,570 --> 00:20:00,160 {\an1}who matched the description of George and Jennie’s children 480 00:20:00,241 --> 00:20:02,951 {\an1}were at her hotel that she managed. 481 00:20:03,077 --> 00:20:05,997 {\an1}And they were accompanied by two men and two women. 482 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,040 {\an1}She describes the men and the women 483 00:20:09,125 --> 00:20:12,795 {\an1}as being of Italian descent. 484 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,670 {\an1}- Ida actually tried to have a conversation 485 00:20:15,756 --> 00:20:18,086 {\an1}with the children, but she was quickly shut out 486 00:20:18,217 --> 00:20:20,677 {\an1}by the Italian-speaking adults. 487 00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:23,891 {\an1}Fishburne: The group rents multiple rooms for the night. 488 00:20:23,973 --> 00:20:26,603 {\an1}But the next morning, they’re gone. 489 00:20:26,726 --> 00:20:28,936 {\an1}- So Ida Crutchfield really didn’t know about 490 00:20:29,019 --> 00:20:30,479 {\an1}the missing Sodder children at the time. 491 00:20:30,604 --> 00:20:31,734 {\an1}She just saw a situation 492 00:20:31,814 --> 00:20:33,524 {\an1}that she thought was very unusual-- 493 00:20:33,607 --> 00:20:35,937 {\an1}the children with a large number of adults. 494 00:20:36,068 --> 00:20:37,358 {\an1}Only later did she realize 495 00:20:37,445 --> 00:20:40,285 {\an1}that she was a potential witness to a kidnapping. 496 00:20:40,406 --> 00:20:43,276 {\an1}[sinister music] 497 00:20:43,409 --> 00:20:46,289 {\an1}♪ ♪ 498 00:20:46,412 --> 00:20:47,872 {\an1}- This is good news and bad news 499 00:20:47,955 --> 00:20:50,115 {\an1}for the Sodder family. 500 00:20:50,249 --> 00:20:51,379 {\an1}- On one hand, there was actually 501 00:20:51,459 --> 00:20:52,959 {\an1}a possibility the children are alive 502 00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:56,045 {\an1}and they’ve been taken under unknown circumstances. 503 00:20:56,130 --> 00:20:58,630 {\an1}But on the other hand... 504 00:20:58,758 --> 00:20:59,878 {\an1}can we recover them? 505 00:20:59,967 --> 00:21:02,637 {\an1}Is there any way to possibly get them back? 506 00:21:02,762 --> 00:21:05,562 {\an1}So knowing that they’re alive is not enough. 507 00:21:05,639 --> 00:21:08,099 {\an1}Unless you can actually recover them 508 00:21:08,184 --> 00:21:10,854 {\an1}and bring ’em back to your family. 509 00:21:10,978 --> 00:21:12,648 {\an1}It’s a known fact that George had enemies. 510 00:21:12,772 --> 00:21:14,822 {\an1}It’s one thing to destroy his property, 511 00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:18,820 {\an1}but it’s quite another thing to actually take his children. 512 00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:20,494 {\an1}♪ ♪ 513 00:21:20,571 --> 00:21:22,411 {\an1}Fishburne: Perhaps the most heartbreaking part 514 00:21:22,490 --> 00:21:25,870 {\an1}of Crutchfield’s account is its timing. 515 00:21:25,993 --> 00:21:28,503 {\an1}- It took her seven years to come forward 516 00:21:28,621 --> 00:21:31,921 {\an1}after she saw the children at her motel. 517 00:21:31,999 --> 00:21:34,249 {\an1}And even if it’s true, 518 00:21:34,335 --> 00:21:36,925 {\an1}seven years later, how could you follow it up, 519 00:21:37,004 --> 00:21:40,344 {\an1}understanding that long period of time that has passed. 520 00:21:40,466 --> 00:21:42,836 {\an1}Fishburne: But Ida isn’t the only witness 521 00:21:42,968 --> 00:21:44,718 {\an1}to eventually come forward. 522 00:21:44,845 --> 00:21:46,595 {\an1}- Over the years, the Sodder family 523 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,230 {\an1}are contacted with a lot of tips and different stories 524 00:21:50,351 --> 00:21:52,061 {\an1}about what happened to their children. 525 00:21:52,186 --> 00:21:53,846 {\an1}- In that time period, 526 00:21:53,979 --> 00:21:55,439 {\an1}there were no security cameras. 527 00:21:55,523 --> 00:21:56,943 {\an1}It was eyewitnesses. 528 00:21:57,024 --> 00:21:58,574 {\an1}It was people that thought they saw something. 529 00:21:58,692 --> 00:21:59,692 {\an1}And you had to rely 530 00:21:59,819 --> 00:22:03,069 {\an1}on their very often blurry memories. 531 00:22:03,197 --> 00:22:05,237 {\an1}Fishburne: Sifting through various leads, 532 00:22:05,366 --> 00:22:06,696 {\an1}there are two accounts 533 00:22:06,826 --> 00:22:08,286 {\an1}that catch the Sodders’ attention. 534 00:22:08,369 --> 00:22:11,579 {\an1}- One of the tips that comes forward is a woman who says, 535 00:22:11,705 --> 00:22:14,615 {\an1}"I saw all the children in a car being driven 536 00:22:14,708 --> 00:22:16,918 {\an1}by somebody leaving the house." 537 00:22:17,044 --> 00:22:19,254 {\an1}Another woman comes forward 538 00:22:19,380 --> 00:22:22,550 {\an1}who operates a diner between Fayetteville and Charleston 539 00:22:22,675 --> 00:22:24,595 {\an1}and she says, "The night after that fire, 540 00:22:24,718 --> 00:22:26,678 {\an1}"there was children in that restaurant 541 00:22:26,762 --> 00:22:28,312 {\an1}with a stranger." 542 00:22:28,389 --> 00:22:29,849 {\an1}Fishburne: Combining these accounts 543 00:22:29,932 --> 00:22:33,232 {\an1}with Ida Crutchfield’s story helps the Sodder family 544 00:22:33,352 --> 00:22:34,942 {\an1}form a potential time line. 545 00:22:35,062 --> 00:22:37,152 {\an1}- So in Fayetteville, we have a lady that believes 546 00:22:37,231 --> 00:22:38,691 {\an1}that she saw the children in a car 547 00:22:38,774 --> 00:22:40,114 {\an1}the night of the fire. 548 00:22:40,234 --> 00:22:42,494 {\an1}Then we have a lady that thinks she sees the children 549 00:22:42,570 --> 00:22:45,240 {\an1}in a diner between Charleston and Fayetteville. 550 00:22:45,364 --> 00:22:47,374 {\an1}And then we have Ida Crutchfield that believes 551 00:22:47,449 --> 00:22:50,119 {\an1}that she saw the children in Charleston. 552 00:22:50,244 --> 00:22:53,294 {\an1}- If these tips are true, it paints a picture 553 00:22:53,414 --> 00:22:57,174 {\an1}of these children that were kidnapped that night 554 00:22:57,251 --> 00:22:59,041 {\an1}and they’re on the move, 555 00:22:59,128 --> 00:23:02,418 {\an1}traveling with somebody against their will. 556 00:23:02,548 --> 00:23:05,008 {\an1}Fishburne: After they leave the Charleston motel, 557 00:23:05,092 --> 00:23:07,642 {\an1}there are no further sightings of the children. 558 00:23:07,761 --> 00:23:09,431 {\an1}And while it seems like a dead end 559 00:23:09,555 --> 00:23:12,605 {\an1}for the kidnapping theory, it won’t be. 560 00:23:12,725 --> 00:23:13,525 {\an1}♪ ♪ 561 00:23:17,354 --> 00:23:18,484 {\an1}- The search for the missing Sodder children 562 00:23:18,606 --> 00:23:21,066 {\an1}becomes more difficult with each passing year, 563 00:23:21,150 --> 00:23:23,490 {\an1}but their parents never give up. 564 00:23:23,611 --> 00:23:25,491 {\an1}Then, in 1967, 565 00:23:25,613 --> 00:23:29,993 {\an1}two decades after the fire, a mysterious letter arrives. 566 00:23:30,117 --> 00:23:34,957 {\an1}George and Jennie are convinced it’s proof one son, Louis, 567 00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:36,249 {\an1}is alive. 568 00:23:36,332 --> 00:23:37,672 {\an1}[dramatic music] 569 00:23:37,791 --> 00:23:40,341 {\an1}[music fades] 570 00:23:40,461 --> 00:23:42,301 {\an1}[foreboding music] 571 00:23:42,379 --> 00:23:44,299 {\an1}- George wanted to find his children 572 00:23:44,423 --> 00:23:45,973 {\an1}and there’s no doubt about it. 573 00:23:46,091 --> 00:23:48,391 {\an1}He would follow every tip, no matter what the cost. 574 00:23:48,469 --> 00:23:50,799 {\an1}He would go anywhere, to the ends of the earth 575 00:23:50,888 --> 00:23:53,058 {\an1}to find resolution. 576 00:23:55,392 --> 00:23:58,192 {\an1}Fishburne: George Sodder spends incredible time 577 00:23:58,312 --> 00:24:01,522 {\an1}and resources scouring the country. 578 00:24:03,692 --> 00:24:05,992 {\an1}- Decades go by, and he’s tired. 579 00:24:06,070 --> 00:24:08,820 {\an1}And he’s about ready to give up. 580 00:24:08,948 --> 00:24:11,528 {\an1}But then, in 1967, 581 00:24:11,659 --> 00:24:14,079 {\an1}George and Jennie receive a strange letter 582 00:24:14,161 --> 00:24:16,161 {\an1}addressed to them at their home 583 00:24:16,246 --> 00:24:17,576 {\an1}and it contains a photograph. 584 00:24:17,665 --> 00:24:19,425 {\an1}♪ ♪ 585 00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:23,000 {\an1}- The photo was mailed from Central City, Kentucky. 586 00:24:23,087 --> 00:24:26,837 {\an1}This photo was the first piece of physical evidence ever 587 00:24:26,924 --> 00:24:28,684 {\an1}to be presented in this case. 588 00:24:28,801 --> 00:24:31,851 {\an1}And I must say, it was substantial. 589 00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:33,721 {\an1}- It was of a man in his 30s 590 00:24:33,847 --> 00:24:36,137 {\an1}that could be one of the children. 591 00:24:36,225 --> 00:24:38,355 {\an1}It was what appeared to be a photo of Louis Sodder. 592 00:24:38,477 --> 00:24:40,847 {\an1}[mysterious music] 593 00:24:40,980 --> 00:24:42,060 {\an1}- I can’t even imagine. 594 00:24:42,189 --> 00:24:44,899 {\an1}This has gotta be huge for them. 595 00:24:45,025 --> 00:24:47,235 {\an1}They finally see a picture of one of their children 596 00:24:47,361 --> 00:24:48,531 {\an1}after all these years. 597 00:24:48,654 --> 00:24:51,204 {\an1}- When the Sodders turned this photo over, 598 00:24:51,323 --> 00:24:53,073 {\an1}they are dumbstruck. 599 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,370 {\an1}Fishburne: On the back of the photo 600 00:24:54,493 --> 00:24:56,373 {\an1}are three handwritten lines 601 00:24:56,495 --> 00:24:59,535 {\an1}starting with a name, "Louis Sodder." 602 00:24:59,623 --> 00:25:01,333 {\an1}But unfortunately, 603 00:25:01,417 --> 00:25:05,877 {\an1}the rest of the writing on the photo is a mystery. 604 00:25:05,963 --> 00:25:08,423 {\an1}- Next to his name is written "I love brother Frankie." 605 00:25:08,549 --> 00:25:12,049 {\an1}And then underneath is "Ilil boys." 606 00:25:12,177 --> 00:25:14,047 {\an1}And finally, there are two numbers, 607 00:25:14,138 --> 00:25:16,718 {\an1}"A90132 or 35." 608 00:25:16,807 --> 00:25:18,267 {\an1}Fishburne: The desperate parents 609 00:25:18,392 --> 00:25:21,062 {\an1}struggle to decipher the message. 610 00:25:21,186 --> 00:25:23,726 {\an1}- No one knows who Frankie is. 611 00:25:23,856 --> 00:25:25,726 {\an1}No one in the family’s named Frankie. 612 00:25:25,858 --> 00:25:28,898 {\an1}None of the friends of the family are named Frankie. 613 00:25:29,028 --> 00:25:31,198 {\an1}So who could Frankie be? 614 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,070 {\an1}Could be the name of the kidnapper. 615 00:25:33,198 --> 00:25:35,078 {\an1}Or it could be the name of a person 616 00:25:35,159 --> 00:25:38,999 {\an1}that is harboring the children or Louis. 617 00:25:39,079 --> 00:25:41,459 {\an1}- The little boy comment is disturbing. 618 00:25:41,582 --> 00:25:42,752 {\an1}We don’t know what that means. 619 00:25:42,833 --> 00:25:44,333 {\an1}Does that imply, you know, 620 00:25:44,418 --> 00:25:47,918 {\an1}something nefarious has happened with a child molester 621 00:25:48,047 --> 00:25:49,757 {\an1}or is this someone, 622 00:25:49,882 --> 00:25:52,132 {\an1}you know, talking about their little brothers? 623 00:25:52,259 --> 00:25:54,179 {\an1}We don’t know. 624 00:25:54,261 --> 00:25:56,891 {\an1}- And it appears that all the useful clues 625 00:25:56,972 --> 00:25:58,642 {\an1}that are left are possibly those numbers 626 00:25:58,766 --> 00:26:00,426 {\an1}at the end of that photo. 627 00:26:00,559 --> 00:26:04,769 {\an1}Fishburne: A90132 or 35. 628 00:26:04,855 --> 00:26:07,275 {\an1}It’s a sequence that looks familiar. 629 00:26:07,399 --> 00:26:08,779 {\an1}♪ ♪ 630 00:26:08,859 --> 00:26:10,109 {\an1}- When the photo comes in, 631 00:26:10,235 --> 00:26:12,315 {\an1}it’s actually only four years after 632 00:26:12,446 --> 00:26:16,366 {\an1}the U.S. postal zip code system had actually been implemented 633 00:26:16,450 --> 00:26:18,120 {\an1}in the United States. 634 00:26:18,243 --> 00:26:19,663 {\an1}So it’s fresh in everybody’s minds 635 00:26:19,787 --> 00:26:21,327 {\an1}and that’s actually the first thing 636 00:26:21,455 --> 00:26:23,795 {\an1}that George and Jennie think when they see those numbers 637 00:26:23,874 --> 00:26:25,794 {\an1}printed on the back of the photograph. 638 00:26:25,876 --> 00:26:27,286 {\an1}Could be zip codes. 639 00:26:27,419 --> 00:26:31,009 {\an1}90132 and 90135. 640 00:26:32,299 --> 00:26:35,469 {\an1}Are they actually in the United States? 641 00:26:35,552 --> 00:26:38,012 {\an1}Well, they go to check it out, and it turns out 642 00:26:38,138 --> 00:26:39,808 {\an1}that neither one of those numbers 643 00:26:39,932 --> 00:26:43,142 {\an1}applies to any zip code in America. 644 00:26:43,227 --> 00:26:44,637 {\an1}[ominous music] 645 00:26:44,728 --> 00:26:46,148 {\an1}Fishburne: But the United States 646 00:26:46,230 --> 00:26:49,820 {\an1}isn’t the only country to use five-digit postal codes. 647 00:26:49,942 --> 00:26:51,362 {\an1}♪ ♪ 648 00:26:51,485 --> 00:26:53,155 {\an1}- We have to look a bit further. 649 00:26:53,278 --> 00:26:57,368 {\an1}George is of Italian descent and is from Italy. 650 00:26:57,491 --> 00:27:00,991 {\an1}Those zip codes match Palermo, Sicily. 651 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:03,160 {\an1}And Palermo is the capital of Sicily 652 00:27:03,247 --> 00:27:05,167 {\an1}and also is the home base 653 00:27:05,249 --> 00:27:08,289 {\an1}of the reputed organized crime organization, 654 00:27:08,377 --> 00:27:10,917 {\an1}La Cosa Nostra. 655 00:27:11,004 --> 00:27:14,224 {\an1}I do think that there is a distinct possibility 656 00:27:14,341 --> 00:27:17,391 {\an1}there could be some Sicilian Mafia involved 657 00:27:17,511 --> 00:27:20,011 {\an1}in this case. 658 00:27:20,097 --> 00:27:23,847 {\an1}♪ ♪ 659 00:27:23,976 --> 00:27:25,016 {\an1}Fishburne: Could this be the break 660 00:27:25,144 --> 00:27:27,154 {\an1}the Sodders are looking for? 661 00:27:27,229 --> 00:27:29,899 {\an1}- For one, George is from Italy. 662 00:27:30,023 --> 00:27:35,453 {\an1}For two, the views of George really weren’t that endearing 663 00:27:35,529 --> 00:27:37,699 {\an1}to the Italian government. 664 00:27:37,823 --> 00:27:40,373 {\an1}And third, because of the organization 665 00:27:40,450 --> 00:27:43,040 {\an1}of the fire and the events thereafter. 666 00:27:43,162 --> 00:27:44,452 {\an1}♪ ♪ 667 00:27:44,538 --> 00:27:47,708 {\an1}- I think that the zip codes are a pretty telling sign 668 00:27:47,791 --> 00:27:50,541 {\an1}that even if they’re not where Louis was 669 00:27:50,669 --> 00:27:53,879 {\an1}or if Louis was alive, it just adds to this idea 670 00:27:53,964 --> 00:27:56,224 {\an1}that these children did not die in this fire. 671 00:27:56,300 --> 00:27:58,180 {\an1}That they might be out there. 672 00:27:58,260 --> 00:28:00,390 {\an1}Fishburne: Initially, George and Jennie 673 00:28:00,512 --> 00:28:03,772 {\an1}are reluctant to share this information. 674 00:28:03,891 --> 00:28:06,061 {\an1}- George and Jennie don’t say anything 675 00:28:06,185 --> 00:28:08,565 {\an1}about this possible Sicilian connection 676 00:28:08,645 --> 00:28:10,435 {\an1}because they don’t want the kidnappers 677 00:28:10,564 --> 00:28:12,904 {\an1}to possibly do something to Louis 678 00:28:13,025 --> 00:28:15,575 {\an1}and/or the other children who may have survived. 679 00:28:15,652 --> 00:28:18,452 {\an1}- Eventually though, curiosity gets the best of both 680 00:28:18,572 --> 00:28:21,242 {\an1}Jennie and George and they can’t lay low forever. 681 00:28:21,325 --> 00:28:23,995 {\an1}So they actually hire a private investigator 682 00:28:24,077 --> 00:28:25,447 {\an1}to go down to Kentucky, 683 00:28:25,579 --> 00:28:27,959 {\an1}which is where the postal code had been printed 684 00:28:28,081 --> 00:28:30,081 {\an1}on the front of the envelope. 685 00:28:30,209 --> 00:28:32,789 {\an1}Fishburne: That investigator is never seen 686 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,090 {\an1}or heard from again. 687 00:28:35,172 --> 00:28:39,092 {\an1}- It makes you question what this private investigator did. 688 00:28:39,176 --> 00:28:41,756 {\an1}Did he take the money and run? 689 00:28:41,845 --> 00:28:44,095 {\an1}Did he maybe find something out 690 00:28:44,181 --> 00:28:45,271 {\an1}he wasn’t supposed to know? 691 00:28:45,390 --> 00:28:48,180 {\an1}And the people involved either kidnapped him 692 00:28:48,268 --> 00:28:50,098 {\an1}or took him out. 693 00:28:50,187 --> 00:28:53,057 {\an1}Fishburne: The investigator may have disappeared, 694 00:28:53,148 --> 00:28:55,818 {\an1}but the family hires another private detective 695 00:28:55,943 --> 00:28:57,943 {\an1}to investigate in Fayetteville. 696 00:28:58,028 --> 00:29:01,158 {\an1}His name is Oscar Tinsley. 697 00:29:01,281 --> 00:29:02,621 {\an1}- Tinsley keeps digging. 698 00:29:02,699 --> 00:29:05,949 {\an1}And the more he digs, the more that he finds evidence 699 00:29:06,078 --> 00:29:08,328 {\an1}that whatever happened to these kids, 700 00:29:08,455 --> 00:29:10,115 {\an1}it was not an accident. 701 00:29:10,207 --> 00:29:11,367 {\an1}♪ ♪ 702 00:29:15,254 --> 00:29:16,254 {\an1}Fishburne: When private investigator 703 00:29:16,338 --> 00:29:17,798 {\an1}Oscar Tinsley begins looking 704 00:29:17,923 --> 00:29:20,803 {\an1}into the disappearance of the Sodder children, 705 00:29:20,884 --> 00:29:24,264 {\an1}he has no idea what he’ll uncover. 706 00:29:24,346 --> 00:29:25,806 {\an1}- The official investigators, 707 00:29:25,931 --> 00:29:27,931 {\an1}they think that the Sodder family children 708 00:29:28,016 --> 00:29:30,596 {\an1}died in a house fire, whereas George and Jennie, 709 00:29:30,686 --> 00:29:32,806 {\an1}they believe that their kids were kidnapped. 710 00:29:32,938 --> 00:29:35,058 {\an1}- The investigator hired by George and Jennie, 711 00:29:35,148 --> 00:29:37,478 {\an1}Mr. Tinsley, uncovered something 712 00:29:37,567 --> 00:29:38,857 {\an1}that was breathtaking. 713 00:29:38,986 --> 00:29:43,486 {\an1}That the authorities, the police, fire department 714 00:29:43,615 --> 00:29:45,575 {\an1}may have been in on the kidnapping. 715 00:29:45,659 --> 00:29:48,619 {\an1}[sinister music] 716 00:29:48,704 --> 00:29:50,414 {\an1}♪ ♪ 717 00:29:50,497 --> 00:29:52,917 {\an1}We have four things in this case 718 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:57,090 {\an1}that are suspicious and are significant. 719 00:29:57,170 --> 00:30:01,170 {\an1}Number one, we have a fire that was not investigated. 720 00:30:01,300 --> 00:30:05,180 {\an1}Two, we have threats against George and his family 721 00:30:05,304 --> 00:30:09,524 {\an1}that people were not questioned or interrogated. 722 00:30:09,641 --> 00:30:12,561 {\an1}Three, we have a letter with a picture 723 00:30:12,686 --> 00:30:16,146 {\an1}with possible ties to the Sicilian Mafia 724 00:30:16,231 --> 00:30:18,191 {\an1}that was not followed up on. 725 00:30:18,275 --> 00:30:21,365 {\an1}And four, we have a conclusion 726 00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:24,026 {\an1}that the children died in the fire, 727 00:30:24,156 --> 00:30:26,316 {\an1}but yet, we don’t have any remains. 728 00:30:26,408 --> 00:30:28,198 {\an1}[dramatic music] 729 00:30:28,327 --> 00:30:31,327 {\an1}Any one of these things, individually or collectively, 730 00:30:31,413 --> 00:30:34,543 {\an1}should have launched a major investigation. 731 00:30:34,624 --> 00:30:36,844 {\an1}But none resulted. 732 00:30:36,918 --> 00:30:39,838 {\an1}- Tinsley, he thinks he’s uncovered evidence 733 00:30:39,921 --> 00:30:42,221 {\an1}that the authorities were in on it. 734 00:30:42,341 --> 00:30:45,841 {\an1}Fishburne: And soon enough, he uncovers potential proof. 735 00:30:45,927 --> 00:30:47,177 {\an1}♪ ♪ 736 00:30:47,262 --> 00:30:49,562 {\an1}- Tinsley starts with the coroner’s report 737 00:30:49,639 --> 00:30:51,219 {\an1}that came out of the inquest. 738 00:30:51,308 --> 00:30:56,058 {\an1}A coroner’s inquest takes place after an incident has occurred. 739 00:30:56,188 --> 00:30:58,228 {\an1}The coroner selects 12 individuals 740 00:30:58,357 --> 00:31:00,567 {\an1}from the community to sit in a jury. 741 00:31:00,692 --> 00:31:03,902 {\an1}They’re presented with the facts of the crime 742 00:31:03,987 --> 00:31:07,197 {\an1}or the incident, and then they determine 743 00:31:07,282 --> 00:31:09,582 {\an1}if there is enough there to classify this fire 744 00:31:09,701 --> 00:31:13,201 {\an1}as either accidental or as an arson. 745 00:31:13,288 --> 00:31:15,538 {\an1}Without finding the remains 746 00:31:15,624 --> 00:31:20,424 {\an1}of the five children, what could they have concluded? 747 00:31:20,504 --> 00:31:22,594 {\an1}- In the coroner’s inquest, 748 00:31:22,714 --> 00:31:25,594 {\an1}evidence that they might have been considering, 749 00:31:25,717 --> 00:31:28,547 {\an1}in my opinion, was nonexistent. 750 00:31:28,637 --> 00:31:30,047 {\an1}They didn’t recover any evidence. 751 00:31:30,138 --> 00:31:32,888 {\an1}They didn’t even have time to recover any evidence. 752 00:31:32,974 --> 00:31:34,774 {\an1}♪ ♪ 753 00:31:34,893 --> 00:31:36,393 {\an1}Fishburne: On the official record 754 00:31:36,478 --> 00:31:38,728 {\an1}declaring the fire an accident 755 00:31:38,814 --> 00:31:40,444 {\an1}is a familiar name. 756 00:31:40,565 --> 00:31:43,065 {\an1}- So do you remember C.G. Janutolo, 757 00:31:43,151 --> 00:31:44,781 {\an1}the man who had threatened George’s life 758 00:31:44,861 --> 00:31:46,951 {\an1}and was the director of the bank? 759 00:31:47,072 --> 00:31:49,952 {\an1}He was also one of the members of the coroner’s jury 760 00:31:50,033 --> 00:31:52,203 {\an1}who had ruled the Sodder family house fire 761 00:31:52,285 --> 00:31:54,285 {\an1}an accident. 762 00:31:54,413 --> 00:31:56,333 {\an1}- And his name is on all five 763 00:31:56,456 --> 00:31:59,286 {\an1}of those children’s death certificates. 764 00:31:59,418 --> 00:32:01,958 {\an1}He signs under penalty of perjury 765 00:32:02,045 --> 00:32:04,295 {\an1}that those children died in a fire 766 00:32:04,381 --> 00:32:06,421 {\an1}and that they died of asphyxiation. 767 00:32:06,508 --> 00:32:08,088 {\an1}[ominous music] 768 00:32:08,176 --> 00:32:09,426 {\an1}How does he know that? 769 00:32:09,511 --> 00:32:11,851 {\an1}They never found the remains. 770 00:32:11,972 --> 00:32:15,642 {\an1}- I think Mr. Janutolo is trying to use his influence 771 00:32:15,725 --> 00:32:19,225 {\an1}in the community to cover up what really happened. 772 00:32:19,312 --> 00:32:24,072 {\an1}Did he make good on his promise to burn down the Sodder home? 773 00:32:24,151 --> 00:32:27,701 {\an1}And two, did he use his contacts 774 00:32:27,821 --> 00:32:29,861 {\an1}within the Sicilian Mafia 775 00:32:29,990 --> 00:32:31,700 {\an1}to have the children kidnapped? 776 00:32:31,825 --> 00:32:33,335 {\an1}♪ ♪ 777 00:32:33,410 --> 00:32:34,660 {\an1}Fishburne: According to Tinsley, 778 00:32:34,786 --> 00:32:37,496 {\an1}the cover-up might go even higher. 779 00:32:37,581 --> 00:32:40,461 {\an1}- During his investigation, Tinsley discovers 780 00:32:40,542 --> 00:32:43,802 {\an1}that the fire chief spoke to the parish priest 781 00:32:43,879 --> 00:32:46,339 {\an1}and told him that he did find some remains, 782 00:32:46,423 --> 00:32:48,423 {\an1}but buried them at the fire scene. 783 00:32:48,508 --> 00:32:49,678 {\an1}[dramatic music] 784 00:32:49,759 --> 00:32:51,509 {\an1}- George confronts the fire chief 785 00:32:51,636 --> 00:32:53,296 {\an1}and they go back to the house, 786 00:32:53,388 --> 00:32:55,178 {\an1}and they dig up a tin box. 787 00:32:55,265 --> 00:32:58,185 {\an1}Fishburne: But what they find doesn’t add up. 788 00:32:58,268 --> 00:32:59,598 {\an1}- In that tin box 789 00:32:59,686 --> 00:33:04,856 {\an1}is what appears to be some sort of old rotting organ 790 00:33:04,941 --> 00:33:07,241 {\an1}of some sort, and the fire chief says, 791 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,030 {\an1}"These are human remains." 792 00:33:09,112 --> 00:33:10,572 {\an1}[suspenseful music] 793 00:33:10,697 --> 00:33:13,407 {\an1}So they take these remains to the local funeral director 794 00:33:13,533 --> 00:33:15,993 {\an1}and he tells them, "It’s not human remains. 795 00:33:16,077 --> 00:33:17,697 {\an1}It’s a beef liver." 796 00:33:17,787 --> 00:33:19,207 {\an1}- And the funeral director tells them 797 00:33:19,331 --> 00:33:21,711 {\an1}that not only are these remains not human, 798 00:33:21,833 --> 00:33:24,343 {\an1}they appear that they’ve never been burnt. 799 00:33:24,419 --> 00:33:27,459 {\an1}That it’s just rotted because of it being buried 800 00:33:27,547 --> 00:33:29,547 {\an1}in the ground. 801 00:33:29,674 --> 00:33:32,894 {\an1}Fishburne: Why would Fire Chief F.J. Morris lie 802 00:33:33,011 --> 00:33:35,891 {\an1}about finding human remains? 803 00:33:35,972 --> 00:33:38,062 {\an1}- There are two ways you can look at this. 804 00:33:38,183 --> 00:33:39,853 {\an1}One is the sympathetic way, 805 00:33:39,935 --> 00:33:41,525 {\an1}that the fire chief is just trying 806 00:33:41,603 --> 00:33:43,193 {\an1}to give the family closure. 807 00:33:43,271 --> 00:33:44,691 {\an1}♪ ♪ 808 00:33:44,773 --> 00:33:47,193 {\an1}The other way to look at it is that the fire chief 809 00:33:47,275 --> 00:33:50,735 {\an1}is involved in the conspiracy, and he’s trying to keep George 810 00:33:50,862 --> 00:33:54,452 {\an1}and Jennie from continuing to look for their children. 811 00:33:54,574 --> 00:33:58,244 {\an1}So potentially, Chief Morris may have been 812 00:33:58,328 --> 00:34:01,538 {\an1}in on the conspiracy with Janutolo. 813 00:34:01,623 --> 00:34:04,423 {\an1}Fishburne: This isn’t the only time the fire chief is accused 814 00:34:04,501 --> 00:34:07,211 {\an1}of working against the Sodders. 815 00:34:07,295 --> 00:34:08,585 {\an1}- It’s important to remember that, 816 00:34:08,713 --> 00:34:11,513 {\an1}back at the night of the fire, it took over seven hours 817 00:34:11,591 --> 00:34:15,091 {\an1}for the fire department to show up to the Sodder family house. 818 00:34:15,178 --> 00:34:16,598 {\an1}♪ ♪ 819 00:34:16,721 --> 00:34:19,221 {\an1}- One of the reasons Morris came up with why he 820 00:34:19,306 --> 00:34:22,766 {\an1}and his crew took seven hours to arrive at the fire scene 821 00:34:22,893 --> 00:34:24,563 {\an1}was that he had no one available 822 00:34:24,646 --> 00:34:26,226 {\an1}to drive the fire truck. 823 00:34:26,313 --> 00:34:28,734 {\an1}They were away at World War II. 824 00:34:28,817 --> 00:34:30,607 {\an1}- Now, World War II’s actually 825 00:34:30,735 --> 00:34:32,695 {\an1}kind of a convenient excuse. 826 00:34:32,779 --> 00:34:35,279 {\an1}Christmas Eve, 1945, this was over seven months 827 00:34:35,364 --> 00:34:37,455 {\an1}after the Allied victory in Europe, 828 00:34:37,534 --> 00:34:40,954 {\an1}and about three months after the Allied victory in Japan. 829 00:34:41,036 --> 00:34:43,206 {\an1}So while there could have been some volunteer firefighters 830 00:34:43,290 --> 00:34:45,460 {\an1}serving overseas, it wouldn’t have been that many, 831 00:34:45,583 --> 00:34:47,293 {\an1}and there certainly wouldn’t have been a complete 832 00:34:47,418 --> 00:34:48,958 {\an1}lack of manpower. 833 00:34:49,045 --> 00:34:50,755 {\an1}Whatever was going on at the time, 834 00:34:50,839 --> 00:34:52,918 {\an1}there were definitely people in that town 835 00:34:53,007 --> 00:34:54,257 {\an1}that did not want the truth to come out, 836 00:34:54,342 --> 00:34:55,931 {\an1}and they would have done anything 837 00:34:56,011 --> 00:34:57,141 {\an1}to make sure that it didn’t. 838 00:34:57,220 --> 00:34:58,760 {\an1}♪ ♪ 839 00:34:58,847 --> 00:35:03,477 {\an1}- I think any parent can understand George and Jennie 840 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:07,310 {\an1}wanting to search for their children all of these years. 841 00:35:07,397 --> 00:35:10,977 {\an1}But should we also consider another theory, 842 00:35:11,067 --> 00:35:13,777 {\an1}as unpleasant as it may be: 843 00:35:13,862 --> 00:35:18,492 {\an1}what if the Sodder children disappeared on purpose? 844 00:35:23,038 --> 00:35:25,248 {\an1}Fishburne: In the decades after the five Sodder children 845 00:35:25,332 --> 00:35:28,672 {\an1}seemingly vanish, countless new questions arise, 846 00:35:28,752 --> 00:35:31,092 {\an1}and the case captures the public’s attention. 847 00:35:31,171 --> 00:35:32,461 {\an1}♪ ♪ 848 00:35:32,547 --> 00:35:35,877 {\an1}Sleuths focus on one mystery in particular. 849 00:35:36,009 --> 00:35:37,259 {\an1}- I often ask myself, 850 00:35:37,344 --> 00:35:39,104 {\an1}if the children survived the fire, 851 00:35:39,179 --> 00:35:40,809 {\an1}why didn’t they ever present 852 00:35:40,889 --> 00:35:42,809 {\an1}themselves to their family? 853 00:35:42,891 --> 00:35:44,351 {\an1}Were they brainwashed? 854 00:35:44,476 --> 00:35:46,306 {\an1}Did they want to protect their families? 855 00:35:46,394 --> 00:35:49,814 {\an1}Or did they just not want to be found? 856 00:35:49,898 --> 00:35:52,018 {\an1}♪ ♪ 857 00:35:52,108 --> 00:35:54,028 {\an1}- One of the theories is that 858 00:35:54,110 --> 00:35:56,650 {\an1}the children didn’t die in the fire, 859 00:35:56,738 --> 00:35:59,528 {\an1}that they actually started the fire as a distraction 860 00:35:59,658 --> 00:36:03,158 {\an1}so they could escape and disappear forever. 861 00:36:03,244 --> 00:36:06,544 {\an1}Fishburne: In 1967, the same year the Sodders received 862 00:36:06,665 --> 00:36:09,215 {\an1}the mysterious alleged photo of their son, Louis, 863 00:36:09,292 --> 00:36:11,342 {\an1}something else happens. 864 00:36:11,419 --> 00:36:14,339 {\an1}- A woman from Houston, Texas sent a letter 865 00:36:14,422 --> 00:36:18,382 {\an1}to the Sodder family stating that she was in a bar 866 00:36:18,510 --> 00:36:21,050 {\an1}with Louis Sodder and Maurice Sodder, 867 00:36:21,137 --> 00:36:23,887 {\an1}and that Louis Sodder, in a drunken stupor, 868 00:36:23,973 --> 00:36:26,183 {\an1}confessed that he was 869 00:36:26,267 --> 00:36:30,097 {\an1}one of the missing Sodder children. 870 00:36:30,230 --> 00:36:33,190 {\an1}- So much for Louis Sodder being in Italy, right? 871 00:36:33,274 --> 00:36:34,694 {\an1}Either the photograph is fake, 872 00:36:34,776 --> 00:36:36,776 {\an1}or the lady in Texas is lying. 873 00:36:36,903 --> 00:36:39,533 {\an1}But what if there is more that might lead you 874 00:36:39,614 --> 00:36:41,534 {\an1}to think Louis is in Texas? 875 00:36:41,616 --> 00:36:43,576 {\an1}Remember those postal codes, 876 00:36:43,702 --> 00:36:47,042 {\an1}90132, 90135. 877 00:36:47,122 --> 00:36:49,292 {\an1}They’re actually also found in Mexico, 878 00:36:49,416 --> 00:36:52,036 {\an1}which is in very close proximity to Texas. 879 00:36:52,127 --> 00:36:53,997 {\an1}Fishburne: Is it possible that Louis 880 00:36:54,087 --> 00:36:56,007 {\an1}has been living in Mexico, 881 00:36:56,089 --> 00:37:00,889 {\an1}and that he’s now crossed back into the United States? 882 00:37:00,969 --> 00:37:03,179 {\an1}- George has no choice 883 00:37:03,263 --> 00:37:05,473 {\an1}but to follow up with the Houston, Texas lead. 884 00:37:05,598 --> 00:37:08,348 {\an1}It’s either going to lead to the long list 885 00:37:08,435 --> 00:37:10,355 {\an1}of leads that led nowhere, 886 00:37:10,437 --> 00:37:14,897 {\an1}or it’s gonna lead to finally finding his children. 887 00:37:14,983 --> 00:37:18,243 {\an1}Fishburne: George and his son-in-law, Grover Paxton, 888 00:37:18,319 --> 00:37:21,779 {\an1}take a road trip from West Virginia to Houston. 889 00:37:21,906 --> 00:37:25,786 {\an1}- So George travels to Texas and tries to find this woman, 890 00:37:25,910 --> 00:37:26,910 {\an1}and he cannot. 891 00:37:26,995 --> 00:37:28,835 {\an1}He is, however, able to contact 892 00:37:28,955 --> 00:37:32,375 {\an1}the two men described by this woman in the letter. 893 00:37:32,459 --> 00:37:35,129 {\an1}♪ ♪ 894 00:37:35,211 --> 00:37:41,301 {\an1}- I’m sure possibly on the eve of meeting his children, 895 00:37:41,384 --> 00:37:43,934 {\an1}he’s fraught with anxiety, 896 00:37:44,012 --> 00:37:45,762 {\an1}he’s nervous. 897 00:37:45,847 --> 00:37:50,597 {\an1}He probably is on an emotional roller coaster 898 00:37:50,685 --> 00:37:53,555 {\an1}of finally being able to meet his children, 899 00:37:53,646 --> 00:37:55,896 {\an1}alive, in person. 900 00:37:55,982 --> 00:37:57,322 {\an1}♪ ♪ 901 00:37:57,442 --> 00:37:59,322 {\an1}Fishburne: George meets with the two men 902 00:37:59,402 --> 00:38:02,662 {\an1}and asks if they’re his long-lost children. 903 00:38:02,781 --> 00:38:05,321 {\an1}♪ ♪ 904 00:38:05,408 --> 00:38:07,158 {\an1}- George asks, 905 00:38:07,243 --> 00:38:10,413 {\an1}and they deny that they are his sons. 906 00:38:10,497 --> 00:38:12,667 {\an1}No matter how much he presses them, 907 00:38:12,791 --> 00:38:17,881 {\an1}they still hold that they, indeed, are not his sons. 908 00:38:18,004 --> 00:38:19,764 {\an1}- As a parent myself, 909 00:38:19,839 --> 00:38:22,299 {\an1}I can imagine George actually approaching somebody 910 00:38:22,383 --> 00:38:24,303 {\an1}that he believed could have been his children, 911 00:38:24,385 --> 00:38:26,505 {\an1}and then they deny they’re his children. 912 00:38:26,596 --> 00:38:29,096 {\an1}And he really has no way to know for sure. 913 00:38:29,182 --> 00:38:30,852 {\an1}You know, all he had was their word. 914 00:38:30,975 --> 00:38:34,185 {\an1}And that just wasn’t good enough for him. 915 00:38:34,270 --> 00:38:37,480 {\an1}- I--I can’t even imagine how that must have felt 916 00:38:37,565 --> 00:38:41,185 {\an1}for George on that long drive back to West Virginia. 917 00:38:41,277 --> 00:38:43,607 {\an1}You just met two potential sons 918 00:38:43,696 --> 00:38:45,566 {\an1}that you’ve been looking for all these years, 919 00:38:45,698 --> 00:38:47,868 {\an1}and they deny that they’re your children. 920 00:38:47,951 --> 00:38:50,661 {\an1}But yet you think they are. They look like them. 921 00:38:50,745 --> 00:38:53,615 {\an1}You had information that they were telling people 922 00:38:53,706 --> 00:38:55,536 {\an1}that they were them. 923 00:38:55,667 --> 00:38:58,877 {\an1}Uh, I just--I can’t imagine how he must have felt, 924 00:38:58,962 --> 00:39:01,672 {\an1}the disappointment. 925 00:39:01,756 --> 00:39:03,046 {\an1}- After that meeting, 926 00:39:03,132 --> 00:39:05,892 {\an1}George believed until the day he died 927 00:39:05,969 --> 00:39:07,799 {\an1}that the two young men that he talked to 928 00:39:07,887 --> 00:39:12,267 {\an1}in Houston, Texas were indeed his sons. 929 00:39:12,392 --> 00:39:14,852 {\an1}- On one hand, 930 00:39:14,936 --> 00:39:18,186 {\an1}I’m sure George was very happy and relieved 931 00:39:18,273 --> 00:39:21,533 {\an1}to believe that his children were still alive. 932 00:39:21,609 --> 00:39:24,029 {\an1}But it also must have been very heartbreaking 933 00:39:24,112 --> 00:39:27,492 {\an1}to think that they were denying that he was their father. 934 00:39:27,574 --> 00:39:33,584 {\an1}♪ ♪ 935 00:39:33,663 --> 00:39:35,753 {\an1}Fishburne: George Sodder died in 1969, 936 00:39:35,874 --> 00:39:38,424 {\an1}two years after his trip to Texas. 937 00:39:38,501 --> 00:39:40,881 {\an1}When Jennie died in 1989, 938 00:39:40,962 --> 00:39:43,212 {\an1}the weathered billboard pleading for information 939 00:39:43,298 --> 00:39:45,548 {\an1}was finally taken down. 940 00:39:45,633 --> 00:39:48,183 {\an1}The youngest Sodder child, Sylvia, 941 00:39:48,261 --> 00:39:51,601 {\an1}died in April of 2021. 942 00:39:51,681 --> 00:39:53,271 {\an1}Sylvia’s children have promised 943 00:39:53,391 --> 00:39:55,771 {\an1}to carry the torch and keep looking 944 00:39:55,894 --> 00:39:57,444 {\an1}for their aunts and uncles. 945 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,770 {\an1}But time is running out. 946 00:39:59,856 --> 00:40:01,436 {\an1}The missing children would be 947 00:40:01,566 --> 00:40:04,606 {\an1}between 81 and 90 years old if there’s any chance 948 00:40:04,694 --> 00:40:08,114 {\an1}they’re still alive and waiting to be found. 949 00:40:08,197 --> 00:40:09,697 {\an1}I’m Laurence Fishburne. 950 00:40:09,782 --> 00:40:11,282 {\an1}Thank you for watching 951 00:40:11,367 --> 00:40:14,447 {\an1}"History’s Greatest Mysteries." 952 00:40:14,579 --> 00:40:18,289 {\an1}♪ ♪