The chief told George Sodder to leave the site undisturbed so the state fire marshal's office could conduct a more thorough investigation. However, after four days he and his wife could not bear the sight anymore, so George bulldozed 5 feet (1.5 m) of dirt over the site with the intention of converting it to a memorial garden for the lost children. The local coroner convened an inquest the next day, which held that the fire was an accident caused by "faulty wiring".[4] Among the jurors was the man who had threatened George Sodder that his house would be burned down and his children "destroyed" in retribution for his anti-Mussolini remarks.[1]