The surviving Sodder children, joined by their own children, continued to publicize the case and investigate leads. They, along with older Fayetteville residents, have theorized that the Sicilian Mafia was trying to extort money from George Sodder and the children may have been taken by someone who knew about the planned arson and said they would be safe if they left the house.[1] They were possibly taken back to Italy.[2] If the children had survived all those years and were aware that their parents and siblings had survived too, the family believes, they may have avoided contact in order to keep them from harm.[1]