← All Cases / Episode #105

The Case of Jason Flom, John Grisham and Chip Harding with Jens Soering

📻 Episode #105
🎙️ Hosted by Jason Flom
📅 Dec 04, 2019

About This Episode

This is an updated episode from season 8 with 22 minutes of new content.

The Case

This is an updated episode from season 8 with 22 minutes of new content.

In 1985, Derek and Nancy Haysom were found brutally stabbed to death in their Bedford County, VA home - both nearly decapitated. When their daughter Elizabeth Haysom became a prime suspect, she and her boyfriend, Jens Soering, the son of a German diplomat, fled the country. The authorities finally caught up with them in London, and if extradited and found guilty, Elizabeth would face the electric chair. Under the illusion that his father’s diplomatic status would protect him from facing the death penalty in Virginia, Jens sacrificed himself for Elizabeth and gave a false confession that was riddled with inconsistencies. Upon learning of his misunderstanding and before being extradited to the US for trial, Jens fought and won a landmark judgment (Soering v UK) in the European Court of Human Rights, protecting himself from facing the death penalty upon his deliverance to Virginia. At Jens’ trial, prosecutor Jim Updike told the jury that Soering's confession was corroborated by several drops of type O blood at the crime scene - Jens’ blood type. None of the Haysoms had type O, so the blood had to be his. Updike repeated this claim 26 times. Jens was sentenced to 2 consecutive life terms. Elizabeth was convicted as an accessory. After almost 30 years in prison, DNA testing eliminated Jens Soering as a possible source of the type O blood at the scene. In 2017, two independent DNA scientists confirmed these findings, and they also found DNA evidence showing the presence of a second unknown man with type AB blood. The crime remains unsolved; however, Jens Soering’s wrongful conviction remains on his record. After over 33 years in prison, he was paroled on November 25th, 2019, along with Elizabeth Haysom, and is finally back in his home country of Germany.

In this episode, you will hear excerpts of the original interview with Jens Soering, novelist John Grisham, and Sheriff J.E. "Chip” Harding of Albemarle County, VA. Then, Jens and Jason go over parole board strategy with Dr Phil, and finally, we hear reactions from Amanda Knox and Sheriff Harding - both of whom worked so hard on Jens’ behalf.

Thanks to the amazing Small Town Big Crime podcast for providing additional audio.

Thanks to the very generous Freedom Wynn for additional engineering.

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom

In Their Own Words — transcript excerpts

Short excerpts from the episode's official published transcript, with timestamps — listen from these moments, or read the full transcript via the podcast's own platforms.

00:08:10

“Speaker 4: She was later diagnosed with a very severe personality disorder, Speaker 4: so she actually had serious mental health issues. And of Speaker 4: course she claimed that her mother had sexually. Speaker 6: Abused her with the. Speaker 4: Knowledge and cooperation of her father, and you know, there's”

00:28:51

“Speaker 1: was Even elizabeth, said it was ludicrous to think that Speaker 1: you could have committed a brutal crime like this because Speaker 1: you're not a physically imposing, guy have had to overpower to. Speaker 1: Adults none of it ever made any, sense and there Speaker 1: should have. Been it should have been relatively. Simple and”

00:49:45

“Speaker 7: he's not alone right. Speaker 1: Know Rachel ryan is one of the hosts Of Small, Speaker 1: Town Big, crime a deep dive serial podcast About ensurring Speaker 1: and The hasten, murders including an investigation into the two Speaker 1: unknown sources OF dna at the crime. Scene you can”

Listen to the Episode

🎧 Listen on Omny / the podcast's platforms

Resources & links from the episode:

• lavaforgood.com
• omnystudio.com

← #104 Daniel Holtzclaw #106 Nick Yarris Pt. 1 →

Also on the podcast: #1 Jason Flom and Barry Scheck with Barry Gibbs · #10 Jason Flom on Christmas Behind Bars: A Special Episode with Amanda Knox, Jarrett Adams, and Jeffrey Deskovic · #17 Jason Flom and Barry Scheck with Jason Baldwin