The story behind the Murder of Derek and Nancy Haysom
When Derek and Nancy first met Jens, they automatically disliked him and told Elizabeth that if she did not stop seeing him they would cut her off, which means she would stop receiving money and any help from her parents. During school Elizabeth and Jens used to write each other letters and in these letters they would tell each other how they felt and they also discussed a plan about how they would kill Elizabeth's parents, and on April 30, 1985 they took this plan to the next level.1
April 30, 1985 Elizabeth Haysom and Jens Soering decided to take a weekend trip to Washington D.C. They packed their bags, rented a car and headed to Washington D.C. After arriving, they checked into a hotel and put the plan into action. Jens told Elizabeth to order room service for two and to get two movie tickets, while he went to her parents house to talk to them about their relationship. 2
THE MURDER
After arriving at the Haysom's house in Lynchburg, Virginia, Jens knocked on the door and told the Derek and Nancy that he was passing through on his way back to school and was wondering if he could stay the night with them until the morning. So, they let him in, gave him dinner, and they started talking about Jens and Elizabeth's relationship. Jens started talking about how he loved Elizabeth and wanted to be with her, but in return, Mr. and Mrs. Haysom told Jens that they disapproved of their relationship, that they did not like him, and how he needed to stay away from her.
When Derek and Nancy expressed their feelings about Jens and Elizabeth's relationship, he got very angry and aggressive. He then pulled a knife out of his pocket and attacked Derek from behind and cut his throat. Jens then attacked Nancy and stabbed her repeatedly six times and left her to bleed to death. 3 When Nancy was dead, Jens went back to finish off Derek. Derek put up a fight, but could not hold off Jens and was stabbed thirty-six times. 4 In a hurry, Jens quickly tried to clean up and then headed back to Washington D.C. Derek Haysom was 72 and Nancy Haysom was 53 when they were murdered. 5
THE INVESTIGATION
On April 3, 1985, some of the Haysom's friends went over to visit and play bridge with Derek and Nancy, but when they did not answer the door, they got worried and went to a neighbor's house who had a key. 6 When the neighbor opened the door they found the Derek and Nancy's bodies and immediately called the police. 7
As soon as the police arrived, they noticed how brutal the murders were, how the blood was smeared on the dining room floor, and how there was no forced entry and many expensive articles still left in the house, which is how they immediately ruled out robbery. The police started calling the Haysom's children and asking them if they knew anyone who might want them dead, but none of them could think of anyone. Then they thought it could be a cult killing, due to the way the blood was smeared on the floor and the way the chairs were facing, but soon got rid of that idea, because they found a foot print and type O blood at the crime scene, which told the investigators that there was only one killer. Derek Haysom had type A blood and Nancy had type AB, which is how investigators knew it was not theirs and how they ultimately found the murderer.
The police called Elizabeth Haysom in for questioning, since she lived the closest to her parents. She told investigators how she and Jens took a trip to Washington D.C., which she then provided receipts and papers showing they were nowhere near her parent's house. What Elizabeth did not give the police was the mileage of the rental car, when the investigators added up the mileage from Charlottesville to D.C. and back it did not add up to the mileage that had been put on the car, but when adding a trip from Charlottesville to D.C., from D.C. to Lynchburg, from Lynchburg back to D.C., and then to Charlottesville, the mileage added up perfectly.
A couple days later after realizing the police were zeroing in on them, Jens and Elizabeth left the United States and flew to England. Where they were caught buying expensive items with checks and then returning them in exchange for cash. The couple was then arrested and taken into custody. During a search of their flat in England, the police found the letters Jens and Elizabeth wrote to each other in school (these letters were used in the trial to convict both Elizabeth and Jens). Once the police in England realized who they had arrested, they contacted the Lynchburg police, who then flew out to England to question the couple. 8
The Lynchburg police questioned Jens and Elizabeth at the same time in two separate rooms. Jens Soering confessed to the murders of Derek and Nancy Haysom and Elizabeth confessed to being an accessory to murder. Elizabeth waved extraditing back to the United States, where she would stand trial and Jens fought to be deported back to Germany where he would have served a lesser sentence, but was ultimately denied and had to come back to the United States where he would stand trial. 9
THE TRIAL AND SENTENCING
Elizabeth pleaded guilty as an accessory to murder and was sentenced to ninety years in prison. Her application for parole was accepted and she will be released in May 2032 when she is 68. Jens proclaimed and still proclaims he is innocent, even though he confessed. After seeing and hearing the evidence, especially the bloody foot print and the type O blood that was found at the crime scene matched Jens (this was the first Virginia case in which such evidence was admitted), the jury ultimately found Jens Soering to be guilty of two counts of murder. 10 He was sentenced to two life sentences and has been eligible for parole since 2003, but his applications have been denied. 11 Both were convicted in 1990 and since then, both Jens and Elizabeth have committed their lives to Christ and are now very active Christians.
1. Cantrellon, Kim. "Deadly Disapproval: The Murder of Derek and NancyHaysom
by Jens Soering, Boyfriend of Elizabeth Haysom." True Crime Zone,
2. Samuel, Terence. "Girlfriend Describes Plot With Lover To Kill Parents."
philly.com.
http://articles.philly.com/1990-06-14/news/25911578_1_parents-derek-and-nancy-haysom-murder-conspiracy
(accessed ).
3. Bloodshed in Boonsboro. : Investigation Discovery, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ZGLKg9bVo
4. Ibid. Investigation Discovery.
5. Conley, Jay. "Haysom murders, 20 years ago today: blood sweat and convictions."
The Roanoke Times, .
6. Hirsley, Michael . "A Mansonesque Killing Brings Shuders toGenteel Virginia."
Chicago Tribune, .
7. Ibid. Hirsley, Michael.
8. Ibid. Cantrellon
9. Ibid. Cantrellon
10. Sizemore, Bill. "No hope for Jens Soering: Prisoner's story shows how to
survive." PilotOnline.com.
http://hamptonroads.com/2007/02/no-hope-jens-soering-prisoners-story-shows-how-survive
(accessed ).
11. Provence, Lisa. "Haysom-Soering: Parent-killer speaks out about ex-BF." The
Hook, January 1, 2011.
April 30, 1985 Elizabeth Haysom and Jens Soering decided to take a weekend trip to Washington D.C. They packed their bags, rented a car and headed to Washington D.C. After arriving, they checked into a hotel and put the plan into action. Jens told Elizabeth to order room service for two and to get two movie tickets, while he went to her parents house to talk to them about their relationship. 2
THE MURDER
After arriving at the Haysom's house in Lynchburg, Virginia, Jens knocked on the door and told the Derek and Nancy that he was passing through on his way back to school and was wondering if he could stay the night with them until the morning. So, they let him in, gave him dinner, and they started talking about Jens and Elizabeth's relationship. Jens started talking about how he loved Elizabeth and wanted to be with her, but in return, Mr. and Mrs. Haysom told Jens that they disapproved of their relationship, that they did not like him, and how he needed to stay away from her.
When Derek and Nancy expressed their feelings about Jens and Elizabeth's relationship, he got very angry and aggressive. He then pulled a knife out of his pocket and attacked Derek from behind and cut his throat. Jens then attacked Nancy and stabbed her repeatedly six times and left her to bleed to death. 3 When Nancy was dead, Jens went back to finish off Derek. Derek put up a fight, but could not hold off Jens and was stabbed thirty-six times. 4 In a hurry, Jens quickly tried to clean up and then headed back to Washington D.C. Derek Haysom was 72 and Nancy Haysom was 53 when they were murdered. 5
THE INVESTIGATION
On April 3, 1985, some of the Haysom's friends went over to visit and play bridge with Derek and Nancy, but when they did not answer the door, they got worried and went to a neighbor's house who had a key. 6 When the neighbor opened the door they found the Derek and Nancy's bodies and immediately called the police. 7
As soon as the police arrived, they noticed how brutal the murders were, how the blood was smeared on the dining room floor, and how there was no forced entry and many expensive articles still left in the house, which is how they immediately ruled out robbery. The police started calling the Haysom's children and asking them if they knew anyone who might want them dead, but none of them could think of anyone. Then they thought it could be a cult killing, due to the way the blood was smeared on the floor and the way the chairs were facing, but soon got rid of that idea, because they found a foot print and type O blood at the crime scene, which told the investigators that there was only one killer. Derek Haysom had type A blood and Nancy had type AB, which is how investigators knew it was not theirs and how they ultimately found the murderer.
The police called Elizabeth Haysom in for questioning, since she lived the closest to her parents. She told investigators how she and Jens took a trip to Washington D.C., which she then provided receipts and papers showing they were nowhere near her parent's house. What Elizabeth did not give the police was the mileage of the rental car, when the investigators added up the mileage from Charlottesville to D.C. and back it did not add up to the mileage that had been put on the car, but when adding a trip from Charlottesville to D.C., from D.C. to Lynchburg, from Lynchburg back to D.C., and then to Charlottesville, the mileage added up perfectly.
A couple days later after realizing the police were zeroing in on them, Jens and Elizabeth left the United States and flew to England. Where they were caught buying expensive items with checks and then returning them in exchange for cash. The couple was then arrested and taken into custody. During a search of their flat in England, the police found the letters Jens and Elizabeth wrote to each other in school (these letters were used in the trial to convict both Elizabeth and Jens). Once the police in England realized who they had arrested, they contacted the Lynchburg police, who then flew out to England to question the couple. 8
The Lynchburg police questioned Jens and Elizabeth at the same time in two separate rooms. Jens Soering confessed to the murders of Derek and Nancy Haysom and Elizabeth confessed to being an accessory to murder. Elizabeth waved extraditing back to the United States, where she would stand trial and Jens fought to be deported back to Germany where he would have served a lesser sentence, but was ultimately denied and had to come back to the United States where he would stand trial. 9
THE TRIAL AND SENTENCING
Elizabeth pleaded guilty as an accessory to murder and was sentenced to ninety years in prison. Her application for parole was accepted and she will be released in May 2032 when she is 68. Jens proclaimed and still proclaims he is innocent, even though he confessed. After seeing and hearing the evidence, especially the bloody foot print and the type O blood that was found at the crime scene matched Jens (this was the first Virginia case in which such evidence was admitted), the jury ultimately found Jens Soering to be guilty of two counts of murder. 10 He was sentenced to two life sentences and has been eligible for parole since 2003, but his applications have been denied. 11 Both were convicted in 1990 and since then, both Jens and Elizabeth have committed their lives to Christ and are now very active Christians.
1. Cantrellon, Kim. "Deadly Disapproval: The Murder of Derek and NancyHaysom
by Jens Soering, Boyfriend of Elizabeth Haysom." True Crime Zone,
2. Samuel, Terence. "Girlfriend Describes Plot With Lover To Kill Parents."
philly.com.
http://articles.philly.com/1990-06-14/news/25911578_1_parents-derek-and-nancy-haysom-murder-conspiracy
(accessed ).
3. Bloodshed in Boonsboro. : Investigation Discovery, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ZGLKg9bVo
4. Ibid. Investigation Discovery.
5. Conley, Jay. "Haysom murders, 20 years ago today: blood sweat and convictions."
The Roanoke Times, .
6. Hirsley, Michael . "A Mansonesque Killing Brings Shuders toGenteel Virginia."
Chicago Tribune, .
7. Ibid. Hirsley, Michael.
8. Ibid. Cantrellon
9. Ibid. Cantrellon
10. Sizemore, Bill. "No hope for Jens Soering: Prisoner's story shows how to
survive." PilotOnline.com.
http://hamptonroads.com/2007/02/no-hope-jens-soering-prisoners-story-shows-how-survive
(accessed ).
11. Provence, Lisa. "Haysom-Soering: Parent-killer speaks out about ex-BF." The
Hook, January 1, 2011.