On the night before Christmas in 1945, George and Jennie Sodder and nine of their 10 children went to sleep. Around 1 a.m., a fire broke out. George and Jennie and four of their children escaped, but the other five were never seen again. For years, people have speculated about what really happened to the children, and the strange events from that night led some to believe that there was more to the story than initially thought.

Sources:

• The Children Who Went Up In Smoke | History| Smithsonian Magazine
• The Biggest Sodder Children Theories: What Really Happened To Them? (grunge.com)
• 10 Facts About The Sodder Children Mystery That Don't Add Up - Listverse
• Sodder children disappearance - Wikipedia