June 10, 2025 • 21 mins
Two brilliant students at the University of Virginia. One forbidden romance. And a secret so dark, it ended in blood.
In 1985, the mutilated bodies of Derek and Nancy Haysom were found in their Virginia home. Their daughter, Elizabeth Haysom, and her boyfriend, Jens Soering, quickly became the focus of a case that would span decades, cross international borders, and spark global controversy. In this episode of Murder U, we unravel the shocking story of Jens Soering and Elizabeth Haysom—two elite scholars whose deadly obsession led to a gruesome double murder and a tangled legal saga that still makes headlines today.
We examine their privileged backgrounds, the brutal crime scene, and the explosive letters and confessions that prosecutors said proved their guilt. And we dig into the media storm that followed, including a Netflix documentary and Soering’s release in 2019—despite never undergoing new DNA testing that could supposedly prove his innocence. Was this the wrongful conviction of a young man in love? Or the calculated manipulation of a killer who knew exactly how to play the system?
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
In 1985, the mutilated bodies of Derek and Nancy Haysom were found in their Virginia home. Their daughter, Elizabeth Haysom, and her boyfriend, Jens Soering, quickly became the focus of a case that would span decades, cross international borders, and spark global controversy. In this episode of Murder U, we unravel the shocking story of Jens Soering and Elizabeth Haysom—two elite scholars whose deadly obsession led to a gruesome double murder and a tangled legal saga that still makes headlines today.
We examine their privileged backgrounds, the brutal crime scene, and the explosive letters and confessions that prosecutors said proved their guilt. And we dig into the media storm that followed, including a Netflix documentary and Soering’s release in 2019—despite never undergoing new DNA testing that could supposedly prove his innocence. Was this the wrongful conviction of a young man in love? Or the calculated manipulation of a killer who knew exactly how to play the system?
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-u--6152042/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Abnormia. From high school hallways to expansive college campuses and
the sanctity of their homes, These once secure spaces have
transformed into hunting grounds for sinister individuals seeking to inflict
harm on the unsuspecting. Join me Maddie each week as
we delve into the bone chilling stories of senseless murders
(00:26):
occurring in and around our centers of education. Welcome to
Murder You, an Abnormia original. Hey everyone, welcome to today's
(01:01):
episode of Murder You. I'm your host, Mattie, and the
case I have for you today involves two University of
Virginia on Her students named Elizabeth Haysm and Yen Sowing.
You may have seen the recent Netflix documentary to a
Murder du Us part Soring versus Haysim, which investigates the
shocking case, including the controversy surrounding the double murders for
(01:23):
which the two were accused. Now, even though the murders
took place in nineteen eighty five, a lot has happened
involving the case since twenty nineteen, and I'll get into
that after I tell you a bit more about the
murders and the suspects. Twenty year old Elizabeth Haysm and
eighteen year old Yen Sowring met as students at the
University of Virginia. Elizabeth was the daughter of a retired
(01:45):
Canadian steel executive, and Yen's was the son of a
German diplomat. Elizabeth attended the prestigious Wickham Abbey boarding school
outside of London. According to New Times Now, she was
a brilliant student, but ditched her A level exams to
travel Europe with a female lover, much to the chagrin
of her demanding parents. Haysom eventually returned to live with
(02:05):
her parents and landed an elite echal scholarship at the
University of Virginia. That tells you what a brilliant student
she must have been. They don't give those scholarships to
just anyone. Elizabeth met Yen's in the dorm that housed
Echo Scholarship students, and soon they were in a serious relationship.
Yen's was an equally brilliant Jefferson scholar with many academic achievements.
(02:27):
They were both highly intelligent young people, but sometimes that
can be a dangerous thing. Yen's and Elizabeth seemed to
be obsessed with each other which often happens with young love. However,
that all consuming passion rarely leads to murder. It was
Yen's first sexual relationship, and from all accounts, his infatuation
(02:48):
often crossed the line into full on obsession. Some described
him as controlling and needing Haysm's undivided attention. Twenty four
to seven. When Elizabeth's parents, Derek and Nancy met Yen's
they immediately couldn't stand him. The well to do couple
ordered Elizabeth to end the relationship. They didn't think Yan's
(03:08):
was good enough for their daughter. Yans felt rejected by
the Haysums, and Elizabeth was equally as upset by their
rejection of the man she loved. Elizabeth's resentment had been
building for years from the moment she was born. In Rhodesia,
South Africa, Elizabeth had lived a pampered life. With her
closest sibling over ten years older. She was treated more
(03:29):
like a spoiled only child. That's not to say the
Haysms weren't demanding. The couple had great expectations of their
youngest child and put a tremendous amount of pressure on Elizabeth.
When she reached high school, they enrolled Elizabeth in advanced
science and math classes, hoping she would become an engineer
like her father. But Elizabeth excelled in art classes and
(03:51):
had a passion for drama. I mean, even before participating
in a dramatic double murder. She began to resent the
pressure she felt to follow in her parents' footsteps, and
this anger carried over to her college years. Likewise, her
parents were still trying to control her, using her school
tuition money as the ultimate bargaining chip. The Haysoms expected
(04:13):
Elizabeth to succeed, but they didn't see YenS as having
the right pedigree. Derek and Nancy told Elizabeth they would
cut off her funds if she continued seeing him. Their
feud would reach a boiling point months later. During the
spring semester at Virginia, Elizabeth and YenS wrote passionate love
letters and discussed killing Elizabeth's parents. Of course, they're not
(04:37):
the first stand couple to fantasize about killing their parents,
but this was more than idle chatter, and it would
culminate in the Hasum's murder on the night of March thirtieth,
nineteen eighty five. On April third, a friend of the
family discovered the wealthy couple's bodies mutilated in their home. Now,
this is a gruesome detail. Derek and Nancy were staf
(05:00):
repeatedly and their throats were cut with such force that
they were nearly decapitated. Wow. Think about the level of
rage it takes to cause those kinds of wounds and
the sheer physical strength. Police who arrived at the Haysum's
home described it as one of the bloodiest crime scenes
they've ever seen. With that level of overkill, they figured
(05:23):
the murderer must be someone close to the victims. The
amount of blood and mutilation of the bodies told investigators
the motive was highly personal. Let's put it this way.
There was so much blood pooled in the kitchen that
large chunks separated from the floor when it dried. There
were also blood smears suggesting the bodies were moved, with
(05:48):
no signs of forced entry and no expensive items taken.
Police rolled out a robbery. Detectives noted the hasims were
eating dinner when someone attacked them. This was another indication
that the cut couple had lowered their guard around the assailant.
The killer ambushed mister Haysum, cutting his throat while standing
behind him. It's unlikely a stranger could have snuck in
(06:10):
and crept up on the couple. Okay. In the mid eighties,
America was in the midst of what's now called the
Satanic Panic, which was a moral panic consisting of over
twelve thousand unsubstantiated cases of satanic ritual abuse. Given that mindset,
investigators initially considered that it might be a colt killing
(06:31):
because of this smeared blood that they reasoned might have
been some sort of symbol. This double homicide happened only
fourteen years after the Manson family killings, so yeah, colt
killings were real fear. But when investigators found a sock
footprint and Type O blood at the crime scene, they
developed a single killer theory. Derrick Caysum had Type A blood,
(06:55):
Nancy had Type AB, so investigators believed that the killer
left there Type OH blood at the scene. The Haysums
had four other grown children from previous marriages. Lie began
calling their sons and daughters. The siblings couldn't think of
anyone who would want to harm their socialite parents. When
investigators got to Elizabeth, they called her in for face
(07:16):
to face questioning since she lived just up the road
at college, Elizabeth told the police that she and YenS
had taken a trip to Washington, d C. The day
of the murder. She provided receipts to back up this claim.
But here's the problem. Detectives were able to obtain the
mileage of their rental car, and it didn't match the
distance Elizabeth said they drove woods. Many killers think they're
(07:41):
smart enough to plan and execute a murder, but there
are countless details they don't take into account. When police
calculated a trip from Charlottesville to d C to Lynchburg
and bag, the mileage was dead on no pun Intended
investigators were closing in on the UVA students, and they
were feeling the heat. The panicked couple acquired fake identities
(08:04):
and skipped the country. They traveled to several cities around
the globe before arriving in England months after the murder.
On April thirtieth, nineteen eighty six, the London police arrested
Soaring and Hastom for floating bad checks. They were living
under assumed names, and a search of their London flat
revealed incriminating letters. Note to self, if I plan a murder,
(08:26):
don't save handwritten letters confessing my guilt. One of the
most damning letters that reveals the control dynamic within their
relationship was a letter to YenS penned by Elizabeth just
weeks after her parents were killed. Or read a portion
of it. My dearest YenS, there are a couple of
things I wish to say. I love you very much,
(08:47):
and I'm sorry for snapping at you last night and
for being a dragon all of yesterday. Why did I
snap at you for the same reason I snapped at
you over the John business. You immediately assume I have fibbed.
I lied to you, you said, so, Why are you
so insecure as to believe that if I had wanted
to look at Richard from the beginning, I would have
lied about it. Relaxed a little. I don't see you
(09:11):
as my jailer yet. Wow, it seems like Yance has
some control issues that only increased after Elizabeth's parents were killed.
Later in the letter, Elizabeth writes, I carry a double
responsibility for you and for me. I do not sit
happily or easily on a pedestal or in a framework
of perfection. I need support, not responsibility. I need love
(09:33):
and not pressure. Here the double responsibility is knowing Yans
killed her parents and having participated in the plot. She
later mentions that YenS was put in a hostile environment
and was upset with having to deal with her brothers
in the wake of the murder. In that context, she wrote,
you were the one claiming possession of the prize. Sounds
(09:55):
like the inheritance money YenS was expecting to land in
Elizabeth's lap. Later in the letter, she confirms this by writing,
don't you ever assume that half of my father's estate
is yours. If you're so caught up in making money
out of my family, you better reconsider. I mean, this
is pretty damning stuff, and the fact that Yen's kept
(10:15):
this letter is rather astounding. In another section of the letter,
Elizabeth writes, you threatened to turn yourself in to commit
suicide when we return to you place this incredibly heavy
responsibility of your life in my hands. Yew The fact
that Yan's threatened to turn himself in for the murder
of Elizabeth's parents short of an outright confession, that's about
(10:38):
as damning as it gets. Now. I'll get to this
in a bit, but in the last few years many
people have claimed that so ring is innocent of this crime,
and I wonder if those people have ever read this letter.
London investigators certainly thought it was incriminating. Upon reading the
intimate correspondence pointing to Yen's and Elizabeth's participation in the
(10:59):
double murder, the Metro Police contacted US authorities, who flew
to England to question the couple. YenS quickly confessed to
killing Derek and Nancy Haysom, while Elizabeth admitted planning and
covering up the murder. Elizabeth was extradited to the US
to stand trial, while Yen's applied for deportation to Germany,
where he could avoid a death sentence. His extradition was
(11:22):
denied and he was sent back to the US on
January twelfth, nineteen ninety. Haysm pled guilty as a murder accomplice,
but Sowring later claimed he was innocent and pointed the
finger at Elizabeth. Remember he confessed numerous times and provided
details that matched the crime scene. For instance, the slashing
(11:42):
of the victim's throats was compatible with the manner sowing
said he held the knife. The injuries he sustained while
committing the murders matched injuries observed on him at the funeral,
and he described leaving on the exterior lights controlled by
a switch in a back bedroom. For investigators, Yes, Yen's
detailed confession left a little doubt that he was at
(12:03):
the crime scene. Combine that with damning letters and the
fact that they acted guilty by fleeing the US, and yeah,
it seems like an open and shutcase to me. The
problem is people look at Yen Soaring and see a smart, articulate,
soft spoken guy, and they think there's no way this
guy is a murderer. Somewhere along the line, YenS figured
(12:25):
that out and decided, Hey, I can probably talk my
way out of this, even with a mountain of evidence
pointing to my guilt. The question I always had was
why would so Ring confess if he was innocent. YenS
claimed he confessed in order to protect Elizabeth because he
thought he had diplomatic immunity. It's more likely he felt
(12:46):
betrayed by Elizabeth and the reality of life behind bars
started to sink in. But what really happened on the
night of the murder. According to transcripts of his confession
in London, so Ring drove from Washington to Lynchburg, Virginia
on March thirtieth, nineteen eighty five. The Haysums planned to
remove Elizabeth from the University of Virginia to prevent her
(13:09):
from seeing YenS, or at least stopped paying her tuition,
which would have had the same effect. Souring said he
planned on convincing the Haysims he was worthy of Elizabeth.
When asked if Elizabeth drove with him to Lynchburg, YenS
was evasive and claimed he couldn't remember if she was
with him. I mean, I'm no expert, but that seems
(13:31):
like a bizarre detail to forget. It does make you
wonder whether or not Elizabeth was along for the ride
and played a bigger role than she claims. Yen said.
Mister Haysum let him in and offered him a drink,
but the Hasims were immediately hostile towards him. They told
YenS he was weak and not as talented as Elizabeth
and implied that he would hold her back in life.
(13:54):
According to Yen's there was a twenty minute argument, then
he went to leave, but mister Haysom's stood up, pushed
him against the wall and ordered him to sit down.
Jan said the next thing he remembered was standing behind
mister Haysam holding a knife and blood pouring from Haysom's neck.
He claimed he didn't know how the blade got in
(14:14):
his hand and described being in shock. An's went on
to say he looked up and saw Missus Haysam screaming
and running at him with a knife. He thought off
Missus Haysm, but mister Haysm started fighting back, even though
he was badly wounded. Yan said he stopped mister Haysum
several more times before turning his attention to Missus Haysm significantly.
(14:36):
Yans admits to cutting his hand while struggling with Missus Haysam, sawring,
stabbed her again, then chased her to the kitchen, where
he finished her off. Yen's cleaned up by wiping his
fingerprints from the scene and taking any evidence that might
implicate him. Yen said he then drove back to d C,
where Elizabeth helped him discard the evidence and clean up
the bloody rental car. After her capture and an extradition
(15:00):
back to the US, Elizabeth Haysa pleaded guilty to being
an accessory before the fact. She claimed she planned the
murders but did not physically take part in carrying them out.
I tend to believe she's telling the truth, because lyone
would have jeopardized the deal she made. But it's possible
that Elizabeth was at the scene of the murder. As
I mentioned in the following days, Yen's and Elizabeth wrote
(15:23):
numerous letters alluding to the murders. Plenty of Soaring supporters
believe Elizabeth set him up, but Elizabeth isn't the one
who kept the letters as keepsakes. Yen's did that. But
what happened in the ensuing years was YenS wrote several
books proclaiming his innocence. He hired a cracked team of
lawyers who also doubled as public relations campaigners, and he
(15:46):
played the media in a pretty masterful way. In researching
this story, I saw so many instances of media reporting
new revelations about this case as indisputable facts, when in reality,
it was by information coming directly from Soring's legal team.
If you want to take Souring at his word, you
(16:06):
have to look at his private letters and journal entries.
Then you get a good glimpse at who he really is.
At his trial, prosecutors introduced a handwritten diarrhea entry where
Suring describes being worried about leaving his fingerprints on a
coffee mug. I mean, hello, that's pretty much a slam dunk.
This murder was never a who done it. From nineteen
(16:29):
eighty six until nineteen ninety, Sauring maintained that he alone
murdered the hay Sums. However, he dropped a bombshell at
his trial by suddenly claiming he was innocent. According to
his new story, he gave a false confession to save
Elizabeth from the death penalty. You know, I'm just not
buying it, And more importantly, neither did the jury who
(16:50):
convicted him of murder. Justice was done, and I think
when a case involves the brutal murder of two people,
you need an overwhelming amount of new evidence to overturn
the judgment of the jury, and that just didn't exist.
YenS received two consecutive life sentences due to the savageness
of the murders, but Souring continued to proclaim his innocence.
(17:13):
In prison. He became an accomplished author, writing several books
that gloss over the most damning facts of the case.
Soring's claims of innocence don't match the facts or forensics
of the case. In two thousand and nine, the Commonwealth
of Virginia tested a small portion of the swab samples
from the case. Soring's defenders, including some questionable experts, falsely
(17:36):
claimed that the two thousand and nine DNA tests eliminated
YenS as the source of the Type O blood. The
DNA certificate of analysis dated September twenty fourth, two thousand
and nine doesn't eliminate so ring as the source of
any blood at the crime scene. Furthermore, those tests yielded
inconclusive results due to incomplete DNA profiles, and it's worth
(17:58):
noting they didn't even tests the primary evidence samples from
the case. Soring said that the DNA test results indicated
the presence of someone other than him at the crime
scene who had Type O blood. That's also not true.
His lawyers claimed that the DNA test results indicated the
presence of another unknown male with type A B blood,
(18:20):
yet there was no evidence supporting that claim either. It
was likely mister Haysum's blood, but again the results were inconclusive,
so they couldn't definitively say that it was his blood.
The one sided publicity campaign launched by Soring's lawyers led
to many media articles incorrectly stating that DNA tests identified
(18:41):
two men other than Soring who were at the scene
of the crime. These inaccurate statements, combined with Yens's continued
proclamations of innocent, were an effective publicity tactic. Among the
people who lobbied for Sowings released were celebrities like author
John Grisham an actor Martin Sheen. Is it possible Jen
(19:03):
Soring was a wrongfully convicted man set up by his
girlfriend and another accomplice. Sure, anything is possible, but when
you look at the totality of the evidence, including Elizabeth's
letters to Yen's and Yens's confession, it seems more likely
this man is a narcissist and master manipulator who played
(19:24):
our justice system like a fiddle amazingly. On November twenty fifth,
twenty nineteen, Governor Ralph Northam accepted the Virginia Paroles Board
recommendation to release both Hasome and Sorring. The board reasoned
that releasing two callous killers was appropriate because of their
youth at the time of the offenses. YenS was reported
(19:46):
to Germany and Elizabeth was sent back to Canada, So
this is what I find so egregious. YenS received sort
of a hero's welcome when he returned to Germany. He
regularly appears on talk shows and the media there continues
to push this narrative of a wrongfully convicted man. I
guess it's just a better story than convicted murderer dupes
(20:09):
the media and is now profiting off of the killings.
Last year, Charlotte'sville reporter Rachel Ryan and Courtney Stewart reported
finding an avenue for new DNA tests with better samples.
They requested Bedford County have the test done, but the
judge ruled that Ryan and Stuart had no standing to
request new DNA tests. But guess who does? You guessed it?
(20:32):
Yen Soaring. The man who proclaims his innocent could request
tests that exonerate him, but he's declined to do so,
which in my mind says a lot. If you're innocent
and you've told everybody that two other people were at
the crime scene, why wouldn't you want to prove it
to the world. If you haven't seen the Netflix documentary
(20:53):
Till Murdered You Us Part, I urge you to watch it.
There are some big reveals about Yen's and Elizabeth in
the series, Yes, but the main thing I took away
was that both are liars. What I find so fascinating
about this case is the only Yans and Elizabeth know
what really happened that night. Both are intelligent people and
perhaps skilled manipulators. I don't think Yans or Elizabeth were
(21:17):
natural born killers, but something about their relationship was toxic
from the beginning, and their obsession with being together turned deadly.
I doubt either told the whole truth, but I'll let
you decide which was the most dangerous. That's it for
this episode of Murder You. Be sure to like and
subscribe to Murder You on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music,
(21:38):
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Abnormia. From high school hallways to expansive college campuses and
the sanctity of their homes, These once secure spaces have
transformed into hunting grounds for sinister individuals seeking to inflict
harm on the unsuspecting. Join me Maddie each week as
we delve into the bone chilling stories of senseless murders
(00:26):
occurring in and around our centers of education. Welcome to
Murder You, an Abnormia original. Hey everyone, welcome to today's
(01:01):
episode of Murder You. I'm your host, Mattie, and the
case I have for you today involves two University of
Virginia on Her students named Elizabeth Haysm and Yen Sowing.
You may have seen the recent Netflix documentary to a
Murder du Us part Soring versus Haysim, which investigates the
shocking case, including the controversy surrounding the double murders for
(01:23):
which the two were accused. Now, even though the murders
took place in nineteen eighty five, a lot has happened
involving the case since twenty nineteen, and I'll get into
that after I tell you a bit more about the
murders and the suspects. Twenty year old Elizabeth Haysm and
eighteen year old Yen Sowring met as students at the
University of Virginia. Elizabeth was the daughter of a retired
(01:45):
Canadian steel executive, and Yen's was the son of a
German diplomat. Elizabeth attended the prestigious Wickham Abbey boarding school
outside of London. According to New Times Now, she was
a brilliant student, but ditched her A level exams to
travel Europe with a female lover, much to the chagrin
of her demanding parents. Haysom eventually returned to live with
(02:05):
her parents and landed an elite echal scholarship at the
University of Virginia. That tells you what a brilliant student
she must have been. They don't give those scholarships to
just anyone. Elizabeth met Yen's in the dorm that housed
Echo Scholarship students, and soon they were in a serious relationship.
Yen's was an equally brilliant Jefferson scholar with many academic achievements.
(02:27):
They were both highly intelligent young people, but sometimes that
can be a dangerous thing. Yen's and Elizabeth seemed to
be obsessed with each other which often happens with young love. However,
that all consuming passion rarely leads to murder. It was
Yen's first sexual relationship, and from all accounts, his infatuation
(02:48):
often crossed the line into full on obsession. Some described
him as controlling and needing Haysm's undivided attention. Twenty four
to seven. When Elizabeth's parents, Derek and Nancy met Yen's
they immediately couldn't stand him. The well to do couple
ordered Elizabeth to end the relationship. They didn't think Yan's
(03:08):
was good enough for their daughter. Yans felt rejected by
the Haysums, and Elizabeth was equally as upset by their
rejection of the man she loved. Elizabeth's resentment had been
building for years from the moment she was born. In Rhodesia,
South Africa, Elizabeth had lived a pampered life. With her
closest sibling over ten years older. She was treated more
(03:29):
like a spoiled only child. That's not to say the
Haysms weren't demanding. The couple had great expectations of their
youngest child and put a tremendous amount of pressure on Elizabeth.
When she reached high school, they enrolled Elizabeth in advanced
science and math classes, hoping she would become an engineer
like her father. But Elizabeth excelled in art classes and
(03:51):
had a passion for drama. I mean, even before participating
in a dramatic double murder. She began to resent the
pressure she felt to follow in her parents' footsteps, and
this anger carried over to her college years. Likewise, her
parents were still trying to control her, using her school
tuition money as the ultimate bargaining chip. The Haysoms expected
(04:13):
Elizabeth to succeed, but they didn't see YenS as having
the right pedigree. Derek and Nancy told Elizabeth they would
cut off her funds if she continued seeing him. Their
feud would reach a boiling point months later. During the
spring semester at Virginia, Elizabeth and YenS wrote passionate love
letters and discussed killing Elizabeth's parents. Of course, they're not
(04:37):
the first stand couple to fantasize about killing their parents,
but this was more than idle chatter, and it would
culminate in the Hasum's murder on the night of March thirtieth,
nineteen eighty five. On April third, a friend of the
family discovered the wealthy couple's bodies mutilated in their home. Now,
this is a gruesome detail. Derek and Nancy were staf
(05:00):
repeatedly and their throats were cut with such force that
they were nearly decapitated. Wow. Think about the level of
rage it takes to cause those kinds of wounds and
the sheer physical strength. Police who arrived at the Haysum's
home described it as one of the bloodiest crime scenes
they've ever seen. With that level of overkill, they figured
(05:23):
the murderer must be someone close to the victims. The
amount of blood and mutilation of the bodies told investigators
the motive was highly personal. Let's put it this way.
There was so much blood pooled in the kitchen that
large chunks separated from the floor when it dried. There
were also blood smears suggesting the bodies were moved, with
(05:48):
no signs of forced entry and no expensive items taken.
Police rolled out a robbery. Detectives noted the hasims were
eating dinner when someone attacked them. This was another indication
that the cut couple had lowered their guard around the assailant.
The killer ambushed mister Haysum, cutting his throat while standing
behind him. It's unlikely a stranger could have snuck in
(06:10):
and crept up on the couple. Okay. In the mid eighties,
America was in the midst of what's now called the
Satanic Panic, which was a moral panic consisting of over
twelve thousand unsubstantiated cases of satanic ritual abuse. Given that mindset,
investigators initially considered that it might be a colt killing
(06:31):
because of this smeared blood that they reasoned might have
been some sort of symbol. This double homicide happened only
fourteen years after the Manson family killings, so yeah, colt
killings were real fear. But when investigators found a sock
footprint and Type O blood at the crime scene, they
developed a single killer theory. Derrick Caysum had Type A blood,
(06:55):
Nancy had Type AB, so investigators believed that the killer
left there Type OH blood at the scene. The Haysums
had four other grown children from previous marriages. Lie began
calling their sons and daughters. The siblings couldn't think of
anyone who would want to harm their socialite parents. When
investigators got to Elizabeth, they called her in for face
(07:16):
to face questioning since she lived just up the road
at college, Elizabeth told the police that she and YenS
had taken a trip to Washington, d C. The day
of the murder. She provided receipts to back up this claim.
But here's the problem. Detectives were able to obtain the
mileage of their rental car, and it didn't match the
distance Elizabeth said they drove woods. Many killers think they're
(07:41):
smart enough to plan and execute a murder, but there
are countless details they don't take into account. When police
calculated a trip from Charlottesville to d C to Lynchburg
and bag, the mileage was dead on no pun Intended
investigators were closing in on the UVA students, and they
were feeling the heat. The panicked couple acquired fake identities
(08:04):
and skipped the country. They traveled to several cities around
the globe before arriving in England months after the murder.
On April thirtieth, nineteen eighty six, the London police arrested
Soaring and Hastom for floating bad checks. They were living
under assumed names, and a search of their London flat
revealed incriminating letters. Note to self, if I plan a murder,
(08:26):
don't save handwritten letters confessing my guilt. One of the
most damning letters that reveals the control dynamic within their
relationship was a letter to YenS penned by Elizabeth just
weeks after her parents were killed. Or read a portion
of it. My dearest YenS, there are a couple of
things I wish to say. I love you very much,
(08:47):
and I'm sorry for snapping at you last night and
for being a dragon all of yesterday. Why did I
snap at you for the same reason I snapped at
you over the John business. You immediately assume I have fibbed.
I lied to you, you said, so, Why are you
so insecure as to believe that if I had wanted
to look at Richard from the beginning, I would have
lied about it. Relaxed a little. I don't see you
(09:11):
as my jailer yet. Wow, it seems like Yance has
some control issues that only increased after Elizabeth's parents were killed.
Later in the letter, Elizabeth writes, I carry a double
responsibility for you and for me. I do not sit
happily or easily on a pedestal or in a framework
of perfection. I need support, not responsibility. I need love
(09:33):
and not pressure. Here the double responsibility is knowing Yans
killed her parents and having participated in the plot. She
later mentions that YenS was put in a hostile environment
and was upset with having to deal with her brothers
in the wake of the murder. In that context, she wrote,
you were the one claiming possession of the prize. Sounds
(09:55):
like the inheritance money YenS was expecting to land in
Elizabeth's lap. Later in the letter, she confirms this by writing,
don't you ever assume that half of my father's estate
is yours. If you're so caught up in making money
out of my family, you better reconsider. I mean, this
is pretty damning stuff, and the fact that Yen's kept
(10:15):
this letter is rather astounding. In another section of the letter,
Elizabeth writes, you threatened to turn yourself in to commit
suicide when we return to you place this incredibly heavy
responsibility of your life in my hands. Yew The fact
that Yan's threatened to turn himself in for the murder
of Elizabeth's parents short of an outright confession, that's about
(10:38):
as damning as it gets. Now. I'll get to this
in a bit, but in the last few years many
people have claimed that so ring is innocent of this crime,
and I wonder if those people have ever read this letter.
London investigators certainly thought it was incriminating. Upon reading the
intimate correspondence pointing to Yen's and Elizabeth's participation in the
(10:59):
double murder, the Metro Police contacted US authorities, who flew
to England to question the couple. YenS quickly confessed to
killing Derek and Nancy Haysom, while Elizabeth admitted planning and
covering up the murder. Elizabeth was extradited to the US
to stand trial, while Yen's applied for deportation to Germany,
where he could avoid a death sentence. His extradition was
(11:22):
denied and he was sent back to the US on
January twelfth, nineteen ninety. Haysm pled guilty as a murder accomplice,
but Sowring later claimed he was innocent and pointed the
finger at Elizabeth. Remember he confessed numerous times and provided
details that matched the crime scene. For instance, the slashing
(11:42):
of the victim's throats was compatible with the manner sowing
said he held the knife. The injuries he sustained while
committing the murders matched injuries observed on him at the funeral,
and he described leaving on the exterior lights controlled by
a switch in a back bedroom. For investigators, Yes, Yen's
detailed confession left a little doubt that he was at
(12:03):
the crime scene. Combine that with damning letters and the
fact that they acted guilty by fleeing the US, and yeah,
it seems like an open and shutcase to me. The
problem is people look at Yen Soaring and see a smart, articulate,
soft spoken guy, and they think there's no way this
guy is a murderer. Somewhere along the line, YenS figured
(12:25):
that out and decided, Hey, I can probably talk my
way out of this, even with a mountain of evidence
pointing to my guilt. The question I always had was
why would so Ring confess if he was innocent. YenS
claimed he confessed in order to protect Elizabeth because he
thought he had diplomatic immunity. It's more likely he felt
(12:46):
betrayed by Elizabeth and the reality of life behind bars
started to sink in. But what really happened on the
night of the murder. According to transcripts of his confession
in London, so Ring drove from Washington to Lynchburg, Virginia
on March thirtieth, nineteen eighty five. The Haysums planned to
remove Elizabeth from the University of Virginia to prevent her
(13:09):
from seeing YenS, or at least stopped paying her tuition,
which would have had the same effect. Souring said he
planned on convincing the Haysims he was worthy of Elizabeth.
When asked if Elizabeth drove with him to Lynchburg, YenS
was evasive and claimed he couldn't remember if she was
with him. I mean, I'm no expert, but that seems
(13:31):
like a bizarre detail to forget. It does make you
wonder whether or not Elizabeth was along for the ride
and played a bigger role than she claims. Yen said.
Mister Haysum let him in and offered him a drink,
but the Hasims were immediately hostile towards him. They told
YenS he was weak and not as talented as Elizabeth
and implied that he would hold her back in life.
(13:54):
According to Yen's there was a twenty minute argument, then
he went to leave, but mister Haysom's stood up, pushed
him against the wall and ordered him to sit down.
Jan said the next thing he remembered was standing behind
mister Haysam holding a knife and blood pouring from Haysom's neck.
He claimed he didn't know how the blade got in
(14:14):
his hand and described being in shock. An's went on
to say he looked up and saw Missus Haysam screaming
and running at him with a knife. He thought off
Missus Haysm, but mister Haysm started fighting back, even though
he was badly wounded. Yan said he stopped mister Haysum
several more times before turning his attention to Missus Haysm significantly.
(14:36):
Yans admits to cutting his hand while struggling with Missus Haysam, sawring,
stabbed her again, then chased her to the kitchen, where
he finished her off. Yen's cleaned up by wiping his
fingerprints from the scene and taking any evidence that might
implicate him. Yen said he then drove back to d C,
where Elizabeth helped him discard the evidence and clean up
the bloody rental car. After her capture and an extradition
(15:00):
back to the US, Elizabeth Haysa pleaded guilty to being
an accessory before the fact. She claimed she planned the
murders but did not physically take part in carrying them out.
I tend to believe she's telling the truth, because lyone
would have jeopardized the deal she made. But it's possible
that Elizabeth was at the scene of the murder. As
I mentioned in the following days, Yen's and Elizabeth wrote
(15:23):
numerous letters alluding to the murders. Plenty of Soaring supporters
believe Elizabeth set him up, but Elizabeth isn't the one
who kept the letters as keepsakes. Yen's did that. But
what happened in the ensuing years was YenS wrote several
books proclaiming his innocence. He hired a cracked team of
lawyers who also doubled as public relations campaigners, and he
(15:46):
played the media in a pretty masterful way. In researching
this story, I saw so many instances of media reporting
new revelations about this case as indisputable facts, when in reality,
it was by information coming directly from Soring's legal team.
If you want to take Souring at his word, you
(16:06):
have to look at his private letters and journal entries.
Then you get a good glimpse at who he really is.
At his trial, prosecutors introduced a handwritten diarrhea entry where
Suring describes being worried about leaving his fingerprints on a
coffee mug. I mean, hello, that's pretty much a slam dunk.
This murder was never a who done it. From nineteen
(16:29):
eighty six until nineteen ninety, Sauring maintained that he alone
murdered the hay Sums. However, he dropped a bombshell at
his trial by suddenly claiming he was innocent. According to
his new story, he gave a false confession to save
Elizabeth from the death penalty. You know, I'm just not
buying it, And more importantly, neither did the jury who
(16:50):
convicted him of murder. Justice was done, and I think
when a case involves the brutal murder of two people,
you need an overwhelming amount of new evidence to overturn
the judgment of the jury, and that just didn't exist.
YenS received two consecutive life sentences due to the savageness
of the murders, but Souring continued to proclaim his innocence.
(17:13):
In prison. He became an accomplished author, writing several books
that gloss over the most damning facts of the case.
Soring's claims of innocence don't match the facts or forensics
of the case. In two thousand and nine, the Commonwealth
of Virginia tested a small portion of the swab samples
from the case. Soring's defenders, including some questionable experts, falsely
(17:36):
claimed that the two thousand and nine DNA tests eliminated
YenS as the source of the Type O blood. The
DNA certificate of analysis dated September twenty fourth, two thousand
and nine doesn't eliminate so ring as the source of
any blood at the crime scene. Furthermore, those tests yielded
inconclusive results due to incomplete DNA profiles, and it's worth
(17:58):
noting they didn't even tests the primary evidence samples from
the case. Soring said that the DNA test results indicated
the presence of someone other than him at the crime
scene who had Type O blood. That's also not true.
His lawyers claimed that the DNA test results indicated the
presence of another unknown male with type A B blood,
(18:20):
yet there was no evidence supporting that claim either. It
was likely mister Haysum's blood, but again the results were inconclusive,
so they couldn't definitively say that it was his blood.
The one sided publicity campaign launched by Soring's lawyers led
to many media articles incorrectly stating that DNA tests identified
(18:41):
two men other than Soring who were at the scene
of the crime. These inaccurate statements, combined with Yens's continued
proclamations of innocent, were an effective publicity tactic. Among the
people who lobbied for Sowings released were celebrities like author
John Grisham an actor Martin Sheen. Is it possible Jen
(19:03):
Soring was a wrongfully convicted man set up by his
girlfriend and another accomplice. Sure, anything is possible, but when
you look at the totality of the evidence, including Elizabeth's
letters to Yen's and Yens's confession, it seems more likely
this man is a narcissist and master manipulator who played
(19:24):
our justice system like a fiddle amazingly. On November twenty fifth,
twenty nineteen, Governor Ralph Northam accepted the Virginia Paroles Board
recommendation to release both Hasome and Sorring. The board reasoned
that releasing two callous killers was appropriate because of their
youth at the time of the offenses. YenS was reported
(19:46):
to Germany and Elizabeth was sent back to Canada, So
this is what I find so egregious. YenS received sort
of a hero's welcome when he returned to Germany. He
regularly appears on talk shows and the media there continues
to push this narrative of a wrongfully convicted man. I
guess it's just a better story than convicted murderer dupes
(20:09):
the media and is now profiting off of the killings.
Last year, Charlotte'sville reporter Rachel Ryan and Courtney Stewart reported
finding an avenue for new DNA tests with better samples.
They requested Bedford County have the test done, but the
judge ruled that Ryan and Stuart had no standing to
request new DNA tests. But guess who does? You guessed it?
(20:32):
Yen Soaring. The man who proclaims his innocent could request
tests that exonerate him, but he's declined to do so,
which in my mind says a lot. If you're innocent
and you've told everybody that two other people were at
the crime scene, why wouldn't you want to prove it
to the world. If you haven't seen the Netflix documentary
(20:53):
Till Murdered You Us Part, I urge you to watch it.
There are some big reveals about Yen's and Elizabeth in
the series, Yes, but the main thing I took away
was that both are liars. What I find so fascinating
about this case is the only Yans and Elizabeth know
what really happened that night. Both are intelligent people and
perhaps skilled manipulators. I don't think Yans or Elizabeth were
(21:17):
natural born killers, but something about their relationship was toxic
from the beginning, and their obsession with being together turned deadly.
I doubt either told the whole truth, but I'll let
you decide which was the most dangerous. That's it for
this episode of Murder You. Be sure to like and
subscribe to Murder You on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music,
(21:38):
or wherever you get your podcasts.
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