No Direct Evidence: The Story of the Missing Sodder Children

by Bob Lane Bragg

Early Christmas morning 1945, just outside Fayetteville, WVa, a fire destroyed the home of George and Jennie Sodder--taking five of their children. Strange phone calls, death threats, and a mysterious man watching the house were just a few of the puzzling events that preceded the fire.
No remains of the children were found--yet the official report said all five children perished in the fire. This prompted George to begin an investigation that would continue the rest of his life.
In 1949, the family re-excavated the site looking for human remains. This only raised more questions than answers.
Undeterred, Mr. Sodder took the unprecedented step of erecting a large billboard on his property with an offer of a $5,000 reward. For decades, the billboard was an icon in Fayette County. After the death of George and Jennie, the family removed the billboard and do not discuss the case.
This enduring Fayette County mystery still causes some to only speak about it in whispers, while others still fear for their lives.
Bob Bragg spent seven years devoted to researching every possible lead in this case. This is the definitive account of one of West Virginia’s most famous and enduring mysteries. A fascinating, captivating, and enjoyable read from start to finish.

Genres: True Crime

296 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2022

Reviews

[Nicki Hinkle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started out so strong. It had details and fact checking and dates and was well stated. However, you quickly get to “speculation & conspiracy” and SPOILER ALERT…



You learn nothing more than that story. You hear what may have happened, who may have been involved and what may or may not have actually been recorded properly. I thought we’d learn something new from 80+ pages.

[Becky Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like history, this book was a good one but without final resolution. It left me with questions that’s for sure. Five of the ten Sodder children, Dec 25, 1945 in Fayetteville, WV gone - did they burn in the house while it went up in flames? If so, where are there bodies? Why was there bones from a person buried in a completely different county in the basement? Who put the beef liver there? And why? Were they taken by the Mafia and sold into human trafficking? Maybe, but why did no one ever find evidence? Were four of the children really spotted in Charleston? And why only four of them, where was the fifth child? The oldest, he wasn’t spotted. Had they taken them but he resisted and was killed? Was the Fire Marshall involved at all? Or maybe the police? Why did it take the firemen 8 hours to get to the burning home? So many questions in this unsolved mystery that no one may ever know the answer to.

[Katie Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book details the information regarding the tragic house fire that resulted in the missing Sodder children. The events of this book take place in WV in the late 40’s and beyond. The author lays out all the information in a format that is easy to follow. Since the mystery is not solved there is no wrapping up the story with a bow but you are able to draw your own conclusions. Highly recommend this book.

[Tiffany Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed research, but it often gets into the weeds and becomes tough to trudge through - unfortunately, the author has become far too close to his material, and objectivity is not there. I do feel like a lot of the facts are included. It's just that they also include opinion presented as fact more often than I'd like. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of time and research was put into writing this book. It goes over a lot of the evidence and different points of view. There are definitely some shady people involved in this mystery. A few stand out more than others. I’d definitely recommend this book to others interested in learning more about the case. It’s very unfortunate that those in charge of the investigation were so incompetent.

[Ashli Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most comprehensive look at the case to date. Very well researched. The author attempts to provide explanations for all possible theories and clears up confusion and misinformation that has been given throughout the last several decades.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thorough account of the Sodder family children's disappearance (?) but I feel that the author included too much side information that wasn't needed. At times, these tangents caused me to lose interest and I struggled to finish reading.

[Tracie Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in Fayette County, West Virginia, just miles from where this tragic event took place. I have been studying this case for the last year and it's absolutely mind-blowing. This book was brilliant and put a lot of things into perspective. Give this book a read. There are many podcasts on this story, too!