base on your description, the following questions come to mind:
1. Could the part have come with the condition?
We are investigating with the part manufacture with no results as of yet.
They are

 2. Is there an open area in the PCB, near the socket in question, through
wich solder can over flow and get underneath the socket?

There are no holes in the PCB near the socket where solder extra solder
could have migrated under the socket and then under the pin retainer.  When
the socket was removed there was now evidance that extra solder had been
between the board and the socket base.  For the amount of solder that was
between the base and the main body of the socket there should have been
evidance of solder ( the plastic body marks very easily at 500'F).

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