Sodder Family Tragedy Revisited

Explicit content warning

12/15/21 • 38 min

When the Sodder children disappeared on Christmas Eve 1945 it sparked a mystery that still captivates us 76 years later, with the death of the last of the surviving Sodder children in April of 2021, will the desire to solve the mystery die with her? Listen as we tackle the telling of one of our first unsolved mysteries. None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told. At times when reporting facts regarding a true crime, (and photos) multiple sources use the same wording. Every effort is made to avoid any copyright infringements and no single work was intentionally plagiarized when reporting the facts of the crimes or the telling of the stories. Below is a list of resources used during the research and telling of this story. (partial)Information & photo creditshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-children-who-went-up-in-smoke-172429802/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodder_children_disappearancehttps://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Sodder_Familyhttps://thetruecrimefiles.com/sodder-children-disappearance/https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/what-happened-to-the-five-sodder-children/news-story/861777f8c048b45241d42dd9fc4d5ee0https://allthatsinteresting.com/sodder-childrenhttps://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/mystery-5-children-killed-house-14235748https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18304007/giorgio-sodderand of course Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, Newspaperarchives, FamilySearch.org This presentation is protected by US & International copyright laws. Reproduction & distribution of the presentation without written permission of the sponsor is prohibited.

None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told.

At times when reporting facts regarding a true crime, or history (and photos) multiple sources use the same wording. Every effort is made to avoid any copyright infringements and no single work was intentionally plagiarized when reporting the facts of the crimes or the telling of the stories.

This presentation is protected by US & International copyright laws. Reproduction & distribution of the presentation without written permission of Haunting History Podcast or Tattered Tales Media Co. is prohibited.

For more information about our hosts, guests or Haunting History Podcast please visit our website at
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None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told.

At times when reporting facts regarding a true crime, (and photos) multiple sources use the same wording. Every effort is made to avoid any copyright infringements and no single work was intentionally plagiarized when reporting the facts of the crimes.

Below is a list of resources used during the research and telling of this story. (partial)

Episode Sources

Books:
- Finstad, Suzanne. Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood. New York: Random House, 2001.
  - This biography is one of the most detailed accounts of Natalie Wood’s life. It includes in-depth interviews with her family, friends, and colleagues, and covers her complex relationship with her mother, Maria, her marriage to Robert Wagner, and her career highs and lows. This book provided background on Natalie’s family, her early life, and the pressures she faced, as well as details about her first and second marriages to Wagner.
- Davern, Dennis and Rulli, Marti. Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour. Medallion Press, 2009.
  - Co-written by Dennis Davern, the captain aboard Splendour during Natalie’s last weekend, this book provides Davern’s account of the events surrounding her death, Wagner’s involvement, and his later testimonies. It was a primary source for understanding Davern’s relationship with the couple and details of the fateful Thanksgiving weekend.
Articles and Websites:
- Vanity Fair: "Natalie Wood’s Fatal Voyage" by Sam Kashner, March 2012.
  - This in-depth article investigates Natalie Wood's life, the influence of her mother, her relationship with Wagner, and her final days. It provided insight into the challenges Natalie faced balancing family and career in the years before her death.
- The Los Angeles Times: “After 30 Years, Natalie Wood’s Death Remains an Open Case” by Richard Winton, February 2018.
  - This article covers the 2011 reopening of Natalie Wood’s case, with statements from the ...

None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told.

Below is a list of resources used during the research and telling of this story. (partial)

Episode Sources

Books:
- Finstad, Suzanne. Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood. New York: Random House, 2001.
  - This biography is one of the most detailed accounts of Natalie Wood’s life. It includes in-depth interviews with her family, friends, and colleagues, and covers her complex relationship with her mother, Maria, her marriage to Robert Wagner, and her career highs and lows. This book provided background on Natalie’s family, her early life, and the pressures she faced, as well as details about her first and second marriages to Wagner.
- Davern, Dennis and Rulli, Marti. Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour. Medallion Press, 2009.
  - Co-written by Dennis Davern, the captain aboard Splendour during Natalie’s last weekend, this book provides Davern’s account of the events surrounding her death, Wagner’s involvement, and his later testimonies. It was a primary source for understanding Davern’s relationship with the couple and details of the fateful Thanksgiving weekend.
Articles and Websites:
- Vanity Fair: "Natalie Wood’s Fatal Voyage" by Sam Kashner, March 2012.
  - This in-depth article investigates Natalie Wood's life, the influence of her mother, her relationship with Wagner, and her final days. It provided insight into the challenges Natalie faced balancing family and career in the years before her death.
- The Los Angeles Times: “After 30 Years, Natalie Wood’s Death Remains an Open Case” by Richard Winton, February 2018.
  - This article covers the 2011 reopening of Natalie Wood’s case, with statements from the ...

Previous Episode

Wineville Chicken Coop Murders Revisited

A sleepy Southern California town is turned upside down with the murders of 4 boys. So much so, the town changed its name. Join us as we look into the crime that rocked this small town and meet the monster who called it home almost 100 years ago. Looking for more information on The Wineville Chicken Coop Murders check out these books The Road Out of Hell: Sanford Clark and the True Story of the Wineville Murders by Anthony Flacco and Jerry Clark (Sanford's son). or Nothing Is Strange with You: The Life and Crimes of Gordon Stewart Northcott by Janes Jeffrey Paul None of the photos on this page belong to Haunting History Podcast. No copyright infringement intended and are only used as enhancements to the story told. At times when reporting facts regarding a true crime, (and photos) multiple sources use the same wording. Every effort is made to avoid any copyright infringements and no single work was intentionally plagiarized when reporting the facts of the crimes. Below is a list of resources used during the research and telling of this story. (partial) Wineville Chicken Coop Murder Resources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wineville_Chicken_Coop_murders https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/wineville-chicken-coop-murders/ https://allthatsinteresting.com/wineville-chicken-coop-murders https://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/california-crop- horror-1920s-article-1.1229595 https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-wineville-chicken-coop-murders/amandasedlakhevener https://the-line-up.com/gordon-northcott-wineville-chicken-coop-murder http://www.theoccultmuseum.com/family-affair-gordon-northcott-wineville-chicken-coop-murders https://highschool.latimes.com/ontario-high-school/murder-flashbacks-wineville-chicken-coop-murders/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wineville-Chicken-Coop-Murders/143884638962102 https://criminalminds.fandom.com/wiki/Gordon_Northcott https://murderpedia.org/male.N/n/northcott-gordon.htm http://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/570624?imagelist=1 https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2008/12/21/clark-chief-witness-in-20s-child-murders-led-exemplary-life/ http://infoczarina.blogspot.com/2008/12/wineville-chicken-coop-murders.html https://www.cvltnation.com/grisly-perverse-crimes-gordon-stewart-northcott/ Documentaries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EiOrpgXZNE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT16Sht4URI "During the 1920s, Boys Became the Prey of a Brutal Killer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2019. Johnson, Kim Jarrell (2006). Jurupa. Arcadia Publishing. p. 67. ISBN 0-7385-3082-4. Kurz, John (1988-12-15). "Mira Loma History, Riverside County, California: Wineville Chicken Murders". Rubidoux Historical Society. Retrieved 2008-01-26. Paul, James Jeffrey, Nothing Is Strange with You, p.88 "Jurupa Valley History: Mira Loma History". Riverside CountyPlanning Department. 2006. Retrieved 2008-01-26 Rasmussen, Cecilia (October 31, 2004). "During the 1920s, Boys Became the Prey of a Brutal Killer". Los Angeles Times. Tronc. Retrieved September 13, 2008. "Northcott Murders: James Jeffrey Paul's Research Materials". Riverside Public Library. Retrieved 2010-03-06. "Murder Farm' Fugitive Held: Young Northcott Arrested by Canadian Police Mother Also Believed to be in Their Custody Blood Found on Suspects' Ranch Called Human". Los Angeles Times. 1928-09-20. Retrieved 2010-04-24. "Error in Extradition Papers to Delay Northcott's Return: Officers Go On To See Suspect State Aides Discover Flaws in Legal Documents Burying Alive Charge Laid to Sanford Clark Examination Continues of "Death Farm" Clews". Los Angeles Times. 1928-09-26. Retrieved 2010-04-24. "Youth's Nerves At High Tension: Northcott Embarrassed on Debarking from Train Request for Picture Brings Defiant Refusal Prisoner Lodged in Cell That Housed Hickman". Los Angeles Times. 1928-11-30. Retrieved 2010-04-24.

Next Episode

Black Dahlia Suspect Update with Brian Clune

Walter Bayley wasn't on any suspect list or sought out by police when Elizabeth Shorts body was found, but, should he have been? Brian's Website https://www.briancluneparanormalauthor.com/ Books by Brian Clune on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Brian-Clune/e/B00MLM0EQ0%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share