The Pine Grove Briar

The Pine Grove Briar

by Chris Sewell

History Hobbies

Season 2

The Sodder Fire: Five Children, No Bodies

On Christmas Eve, 1945, the Sodder family home in Fayetteville, West Virginia went up in flames. By morning, five children were gone. Officials ruled the case simple: the children perished in the fire. But no remains were ever conclusively identified. The phone line had been cut. The ladder was missing. The trucks wouldn’t start. Witnesses claimed to see the children alive in the days that followed. And the parents never stopped searching. In this episode of THE PINE GROVE BRIAR, we examine one of America’s most enduring mysteries — the disappearance of the Sodder children. Through period newspaper accounts, conflicting fire science, eyewitness claims, and decades of unanswered questions, this story refuses to settle into a single explanation. Did five children die in a tragic Christmas fire? Or did five children leave that house alive? Both arguments have evidence. Both arguments have weaknesses. And neither side has ever truly gone away. Sit with the contradictions. Look at the details. Then decide which version feels more believable. Because this case doesn’t end with certainty. It ends with a choice. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo https://www.facebook.com/volmarket3/

The Villisca Murders - the Night the Lamps Stayed Lit

On June 9th, 1912, the Moore family walked home from church in the quiet railroad town of Villisca, Iowa. Nothing seemed unusual. Neighbors waved. Oil lamps flickered. The children were laughing. By morning, eight people lay dead inside the house. Bludgeoned in their beds. The mirrors covered. The lamp chimneys removed. The axe left behind. In this episode, the Pine Grove Briar slows down the story of one of America’s most haunting unsolved murders. Not just the violence — but the stillness inside the house. The order. The strange details. The hurried investigation. The suspects who divided a town. And the trial that never delivered certainty. This isn’t a sensational retelling. It’s a careful walk through a house that never quite closed. Because sometimes the most unsettling crimes aren’t the loud ones. They’re the ones where no one remembers hearing a single scream. Listen slow. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo https://www.facebook.com/volmarket3/

The Coalfield Killing - Death Ruled an Accident

In the early 1920s, during the height of the Coal Wars in the Tug River Valley, a man tied to union activity was found dead near a rail line outside Matewan. The official ruling was simple: accident. He had fallen. The train hadn’t seen him. Case closed. But locals didn’t believe it. In this of the Pine Grove Briar, we return to coal country to examine one of the lesser-known deaths connected to the tensions surrounding Matewan. Through company control, private detectives, hurried verdicts, and the quiet power of silence in Appalachian towns, this story explores what happens when the same forces that own the mines help shape the narrative. This isn’t a retelling of the famous Matewan shootout. It’s something quieter. And perhaps more unsettling. Because sometimes the most important stories in coal country aren’t the ones carved into monuments… They’re the ones ruled accidental and left to settle like dust. Listen slow. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo https://www.facebook.com/volmarket3/

The Family that Vanished from the Census

In the early decades of the 20th century, a family living deep in Appalachia appeared in public records like anyone else—census rolls, school logs, tax books. Then, without warning, every one of their names stopped appearing. No death certificates. No relocation records. No official explanation. In this extended fireside episode of The Pine Grove Briar, we follow the paper trail until it goes quiet, then listens to what memory, silence, and local understanding reveal in its place. This is an Appalachian true crime story told slowly—about belonging, disappearance, and what happens when an entire community agrees not to ask questions. Settle in. Some stories don’t end. They just stop being written down. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo

Where the Hollow Keeps Its Secrets

Deep in the Appalachian mountains, there are places where silence isn’t empty—it’s intentional. Tonight on Pine Grove Briar, we settle in beside the fire and drift into a forgotten hollow where a man vanished without a sound… and no one seemed eager to ask why. Through creeping fog, half-spoken memories, and the kind of quiet that only exists in the mountains, this episode explores how Appalachia remembers its dead—and protects its secrets. This is a slow-burning fireside tale of absence, acceptance, and the unspoken rules that govern life deep in the hollows. So pack a bowl, lean back, and listen carefully. Some stories don’t want to be rushed. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo

The Greenbrier Ghost: A Murder That Wouldn’t Stay Buried

In the winter of 1897, a young woman was found dead at the foot of the stairs in a quiet West Virginia home. The official explanation was simple. Convenient. And wrong. In tonight’s episode of Pine Grove Briar, we travel into the Appalachian fog to examine one of the strangest criminal cases in American history—The Greenbrier Ghost. A murder disguised as a natural death, a husband whose grief drew quiet suspicion, and a mother who refused to accept what she was told. When justice stalled, something unexpected stepped forward. Was it a ghost? A mother’s unrelenting grief? Or a truth that simply refused to stay silent? Blending documented court records, regional folklore, and fireside reflection, this episode explores the uneasy space where crime and legend overlap—and what happens when the dead seem more willing to speak than the living. Pull your chair a little closer. The fire’s low. The fog is thick. And some stories… don’t rest easy. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo

S02 E001 The Hinterkaifeck Horror

The Hinterkaifeck Horror In this chilling episode, we travel far from the Appalachian foothills to a secluded farm in Germany, the site of one of the most baffling unsolved true crimes in history: the Hinterkaifeck murders. We delve into the sinister events that unfolded in the weeks before the brutal crime, from mysterious footprints in the snow to unsettling noises in the attic. Join us as we explore the gruesome discovery, the flawed investigation, and the terrifying theories—both human and supernatural—behind a case where the killer vanished without a trace. This episode is sponsored by Old Glory. Old Glory is an iconic music and sports fan merch brand that offers over 300,000 officially licensed items for music, sports, entertainment, and pop culture fans. Go check out their website at oldglory.com and use our exclusive code: PGBPROMO, to get 15% off your entire order. The discount is the highest available and applies to any product. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo www.hometownpickleball.com Along with our friends at Lee's Bait & Tackle in Oneida, TN!

Season 1

S01 E20 Echoes in November: The Lincoln-Kennedy Curse

Echoes in November: The Lincoln-Kennedy Curse In this chilling episode of The Pine Grove Briar, we pull back the veil on the uncanny parallels between the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. A century apart, yet linked by a web of unsettling coincidences, these two tragedies continue to haunt American history. We'll delve into the strange similarities and then dive deep into the lingering questions and compelling conspiracy theories surrounding the death of JFK. Prepare for a journey into history's most persistent mysteries. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! We greatly appreciate it! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo www.hometownpickleball.com Along with our friends at Lee's Bait & Tackle in Oneida, TN!

S01 E19 Shadows Over Robin Hood Hills: The West Memphis Three

In this chilling, immersive episode of The Pine Grove Briar, we journey into one of the most haunting true crime cases in American history—the 1993 murders of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, and the controversial convictions of three teenagers that followed. Known as the West Memphis Three, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were thrust into a national spotlight fueled by moral panic, flawed justice, and a community gripped by fear. With our signature blend of atmospheric storytelling and historical insight, we explore the case’s timeline, the trials, and the decades-long fight for truth and justice. Along the way, we reflect on the cultural climate of the 1990s, the role of media, and how this case forever changed the landscape of true crime. Grab your pipe, settle in by the fire, and prepare for a sobering journey through shadows, suspicion, and a search for answers that still echo today. Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo www.hometownpickleball.com Along with our friends at Lee's Bait & Tackle in Oneida, TN!

S01 E18 The Glitch in the Machine - Investigating the Dead Internet Theory

What if the internet died years ago, and we're just talking to its ghost? In this chilling episode of The Pine Grove Briar, we unpack the "Dead Internet Theory," a viral concept suggesting that a vast majority of online content and engagement is now generated by AI and bots, not actual people. From strangely generic comments to the eerie silence of old forums, we examine the "symptoms" of a decaying digital world and ask: Who's pulling the strings in this increasingly artificial reality? Also, don't forget to leave us a rating or review and like and subscribe to our podcast. If you would like to support the Pine Grove Briar, drop us a line at pinegrovebriar@gmail.com or you can send a donation directly to paypal.me/chrissewell623 and that will be a great help to keep the mics on and the pipes lit! Go check out these fine folks as well: www.gatlinburlier.com www.etsy.com/shop/SewellWoodworksCo www.hometownpickleball.com Along with our friends at Lee's Bait & Tackle in Oneida, TN!

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