UPDATE: The Sodder Children
Evaluation and Summary
Crime Junkie revisits the Sodder children case, a 1945 mystery in which five siblings vanished after their family home burned down on Christmas morning in West Virginia. The original 2019 episode covered the official narrative—that the children died in the fire—versus the family's decades-long belief that they may have survived. This update incorporates new information from a family descendant, prompting the hosts to re-examine what happened when the parents began questioning the official story and why the family maintained hope for so long. The episode is 31 minutes long and includes a YouTube video component. Crime Junkie encourages listeners with relevant information to contact them or Miranda Weeks (identified as a family contact) at the provided email addresses. The show notes reference a full source list on their website but don't detail specific new evidence, interviews, or reporting conducted for this update. The episode appears to be part of Crime Junkie's broader practice of revisiting cold cases with fresh angles or newly available information.
Verdict: A familiar cold case revisited with promised new family information, but the show notes provide too little detail about what that update actually contains to assess whether it justifies a listen.
True Crime rubric
-
Research depth 2/5 25%
Show notes mention 'new information from a family descendant' but provide no specifics about what that information is, what records were consulted, or what original reporting was done for this update.
-
Storytelling n/a
No details in the source material about narrative structure, pacing, or how the episode is constructed; cannot assess storytelling craft from show notes alone.
-
Respect for victims 3/5 19%
The framing focuses on the family's perspective and their decades of hope rather than sensationalizing the disappearance, though source material is too limited to assess tone fully.
-
Substance 2/5 19%
Show notes promise 'new information' but don't describe what that substance is, making it unclear whether the update adds meaningful content or largely rehashes the 2019 episode.
-
Delivers on its title 3/5 19%
Title promises an update on the Sodder children case, and the description confirms it revisits the case with new family information, but the vague framing leaves uncertainty about how thoroughly the update is delivered.
-
Value for time 2/5 19%
At 31 minutes, the episode's value depends entirely on the substance of the 'new information,' which is not described; without knowing what's actually new, it's unclear if the runtime is justified.
Worth it if you're a Crime Junkie regular invested in the Sodder children case and want to hear what a family descendant has revealed.
Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.
Show notes
More from Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie's 'INFAMOUS: The Horsch House of Horrors' investigates a disturbing case centered on a boarded-up rowhouse in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood. The episode begins with a dramatic discovery: a woman's voice calling for help from a parked car near the Liberty Bell, which triggers a police response that…
Worth it if you enjoy unsolved mysteries with ongoing police investigations and appreciate Crime Junkie's established narrative style.
Crime Junkie covers the 1983 murder of Dorothy "Toby" Tate, a 41-year-old whose killing was initially classified as a burglary gone wrong but remained unsolved for four decades. The episode focuses on how two detectives from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office reopened the cold case and used preserved DNA…
Worth it if you enjoy cold-case resolutions with forensic breakthroughs and don't mind Crime Junkie's established format.
Crime Junkie covers the 1989 murder of Marina Ramos, whose brutally killed body was discovered in Mohave County, Arizona, decades before she was identified. The episode explores the tangled mystery surrounding her death and the disappearance of her two young children. According to the show notes, several pieces of the…
Worth it if you're a Crime Junkie regular or interested in unsolved Arizona murders with active investigation appeals.
Crime Junkie examines the May 2023 death of Lakesha Thompson, a case officially ruled a suicide by investigators but contested by her family. According to the show notes, Thompson died from a single gunshot wound, and while authorities quickly determined it was self-inflicted, the episode highlights "key pieces of…
Worth it if you're interested in cases where official rulings conflict with family concerns and you trust Crime Junkie's reporting to fill gaps the show notes don't reveal.