Netflix’s true crime documentary series, Till Murder Do Us Part: Söring vs. Haysom, delves into the dark and convoluted story of the 1985 double murder of Derek and Nancy Haysom, a case that continues to capture the public’s fascination.
The brutal murder of Derek and Nancy Haysom in their home on April 3rd, 1985, sent shockwaves through the community. The couple had been brutally stabbed numerous times, their injuries so severe that it was almost as if they had been decapitated.
Initially, the Haysoms’s then 18-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and her 20-year-old boyfriend, Jens, were not considered suspects due to their alibi of being in Washington, DC, at the time of the murders. However, the police soon grew suspicious when their alibi began to unravel.
Discrepancies in their car’s mileage raised red flags, prompting authorities to focus their attention on the couple. In a desperate attempt to escape justice, Elizabeth and Jens fled to England, assuming fake identities, but they were eventually apprehended in 1986 for fraud.
Why did Jens Söring and Elizabeth Haysom kill her parents?
At the centre of this gripping true crime tale are the two prime suspects, Elizabeth Haysom and her boyfriend, Jens Söring, who were convicted of the crime but recently paroled in November 2019 and deported out of the US.
However, what led them to plan and execute the murder of Derek and Nancy Haysom is shrouded in as much doubt as the extent of Elizabeth and Jens’ culpability.
The motive behind the murders of Elizabeth’s parents, Derek and Nancy Haysom, was allegedly rooted in their disapproval of her relationship with Jens Söring.
However, in both the legal proceedings involving Elizabeth and Jens, the question of potential abuse inflicted by the Haysom parents upon Elizabeth emerged as a significant point of contention. Elizabeth’s accounts of this alleged abuse varied, creating confusion.
During her own case hearing, she denied being subject to abuse by her mother with her father’s knowledge. However, during Jens’ criminal trial, Elizabeth altered her testimony, claiming that the abuse played a pivotal role in fueling her anger towards her parents.
What happened to Elizabeth Haysom, and where is she now?
The subsequent murder trial was marked by a web of deceit and ever-changing testimonies. Initially, Jens confessed to the murders, claiming he had killed Derek and Nancy while Elizabeth waited in a hotel. However, he later recanted his confession and pointed the finger at Elizabeth as the perpetrator.
Elizabeth herself eventually testified that she had manipulated Jens into carrying out the gruesome act on her behalf. She pleaded guilty to two counts of accessory to murder before the fact, leading to her sentencing to two consecutive 45-year prison terms. She began serving her sentence at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Troy, Virginia, in 1987 and served 32 years before being granted parole in 2019. Subsequently, she was deported to Canada and is legally prohibited from returning to the United States.
Is Jens Soering still in jail?
Jens Söring was also released from prison on probation and deported to Germany in 2019.
While Jens Söring makes an appearance in the Netflix documentary series Till Murder Do Us Part, Elizabeth Haysom does not. It is believed that she chose to decline further involvement with the media, possibly due to the wishes of her half-siblings on her father’s side.
