Time Warp Thursday S2E45 (3/13/2025) - Episode Recap: The Sodder Children Disappearance & The D.B. Cooper Hijacking

Welcome back, fellow mystery solvers! On this week’s episode of Time Warp Thursday, we dove deep into two chilling unsolved cases that have haunted the public for decades.

The Sodder Children Disappearance: A Fire, A Family, and a Lifetime of Questions

We began by unraveling the strange and perplexing mystery of the Sodder children who went missing after a fire destroyed their home in Fayetteville, West Virginia, on Christmas Eve in 1945. George and Jennie Sodder, along with four of their nine children, managed to escape, but five children—Maurice, Martha, Louis, Jennie, and Betty—vanished without a trace.

What makes this case so bizarre is the absence of human remains in the ashes of the fire. Despite the intensity of the flames, no bones, teeth, or any other physical evidence of the children was found. Experts confirmed that even in fires as intense as this one, some bones should remain, leading many to question whether something far more sinister was at play.

The timeline of strange events leading up to the fire, including threats from a stranger and a mysterious phone call, all raised suspicions that this may have been no accident. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the children alive after the fire, and in 1967, Jennie received a cryptic letter with a photo of a young man resembling her missing son, Louis.

We explored several theories:

The Children Died in the Fire – The official explanation, but the lack of remains raises doubts.

The Children Were Kidnapped – Some believe the fire was a cover-up for a planned abduction.

Mafia or Italian Revenge Attack – Could this have been retaliation for George's outspoken anti-Mussolini views?

Child Trafficking – A chilling possibility, with reports of sightings of the children in Florida years later.

What do you think happened that night? Was it a tragic fire or a carefully orchestrated kidnapping? Share your theories - we may just crack this case together!

The D.B. Cooper Hijacking: The Man Who Vanished Without a Trace

Next, we turned to the legendary case of D.B. Cooper, the mysterious man who hijacked a plane in 1971, took a ransom of $200,000, and jumped out of the plane into the night, disappearing forever.

Cooper’s story remains one of the greatest unsolved crimes in American history. On Thanksgiving Eve, he boarded a flight under the alias “Dan Cooper,” hijacked the plane, and made off with the ransom money. After releasing the passengers, he ordered the crew to take off again and jumped from the rear staircase into the freezing night over Washington State. Despite one of the largest manhunts in history, no trace of Cooper was ever found.

Theories about what happened to Cooper abound:

Cooper Didn’t Survive the Jump – Many believe the harsh conditions made it impossible for him to survive.

Cooper Survived and Escaped – Some believe he planned the jump perfectly and got away with the money.

Cooper Was an Inside Man – Could Cooper have had inside knowledge about the plane and law enforcement procedures?

Cooper Was Never Alone – A wilder theory posits that he had an accomplice waiting on the ground to help him escape.

What’s your theory about D.B. Cooper? Did he survive, or did he perish in the wilderness? Could he have had inside help? We want to hear from you!

Join the Conversation!

As always, we love hearing from our listeners! What are your theories on these unsolved mysteries? Could we solve them together? Leave a comment or reach out on social media - we may just feature your thoughts in next week's episode.

What's Next on Time Warp Thursday?

Next week, we’ll dive into more chilling unsolved cases and deep dive into the minds of those who may know the answers. Stay tuned for more!