Netflix is currently streaming Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs Haysom, a true crime documentary. The limited series, consisting of four episodes, is about a double murder of an elderly couple at their Boonsboro, Bedford County, Virginia home on April 1, 1985. The victims, Derek and Nancy Haysom were wealthy socialites, said reports.
At the dock for the alleged killings were Derek and Nancy's daughter Elizabeth Haysom, and her then-boyfriend Jens Soering. Both were students of the University of Virginia at the time of the incident. While Soering was 18, Elizabeth was 20 at the time.
Elizabeth was their only biological child who shared a rather contentious relationship with her parents.
Till Murder Do Us Part may show who the real killer is: Soering or Elizabeth
Through the four episodes, the new Till Murder Do Us Part documentary showcases how the killer conducted the act. They first slit the throats of Derek and Nancy and attacked them gruesomely repeatedly with a knife, leaving them almost decapitated.
The Netflix documentary explores whether it was Jens Soering or Elizabeth Haysom who committed the crime. Soering is the son of a German diplomat and so during interrogation, he claimed to have taken the fall since he believed he had diplomatic immunity and also to protect his girlfriend.
Afterward, his version changed and he pitched himself as a mere accessory to the crime. That time, Soering stated that he was put up in Washington DC, while Elizabeth carried out the murders, as per Till Murder Do Us Part.
Eventually, he was given life imprisonment at the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Virginia, and Elizabeth Haysom got a 90-year prison sentence. Both got parole on November 25, 2019, and were deported from the United States. While Elizabeth was sent to Canada, her home country, Soering landed in Frankfurt on December 17, 2019, and has been residing in Germany ever since.
Additionally, as per a Washington Post article, he cannot enter the United States again nor contact Elizabeth or her family. Soering has expressed unwillingness to do either, states Till Murder Do Us Part.
Soering: Native place, experience during imprisonment, and more
Soering was born on 1 August 1966, in Bangkok, Thailand, to a diplomat named Klaus Söring.
At 11, Soering relocated to the United States, and in 1984, he graduated from Atlanta, Georgia-based The Lovett School. His next stint was at the University of Virginia, where he got involved with fellow student Elizabeth Haysom.
Reports suggest that they wrote one another passionate letters. In those letters, Elizabeth used to narrate her ordeal and the challenging relationship she had with her parents.
During his time in prison, Soering converted to Roman Catholicism from Buddhism and penned several books. One of his books published in 2007, The Convict Christ, got the first prize under the Social Concerns category by the Catholic Press Association of North America.
He also wrote Mortal Thoughts in 1995, which was described as "The autobiography of a young man imprisoned for a double murder he did not commit."
As for 2023, Soering maintains his innocence. He has further expressed a wish to transform his incarceration experience into inspirational speeches about resilience.
Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom was released on Netflix on November 1, 2023.
