Till Murder Do Us Part on Netflix: The Story Behind Elizabeth Haysom
The second episode of the documentary series explores Elizabeth Haysom's role in the brutal double murder of her parents in Virginia
What is the series about?
Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom (Netflix, 2023) is a four-part documentary series that reconstructs the shocking case of the double murder of married couple Derek and Nancy Haysom. The series focuses in its second episode, titled 'Liz', on daughter Elizabeth Haysom and her role in the events leading to her parents' deaths in April 1985. Through archival footage and interviews with key figures in the case, including a href='/krimidex/jens-soering'>Jens Söring /a>, the series examines the conflicting explanations that the couple has provided over the decades. While Söring today claims his innocence, the documentation from the trials in Virginia presents a different reality, where both obsession and manipulation played central roles.
The real case
The real case began on April 3, 1985, when the bodies of Derek and Nancy Haysom were found in their home, 'Loose Chips', in Bedford County, Virginia. Both victims had been stabbed multiple times and had their throats cut with great force. Suspicion quickly fell on daughter Elizabeth Haysom, who was studying at the University of Virginia, and her German boyfriend, Jens Söring. The couple fled the U.S. and traveled through Europe and Asia under false identities before finally being apprehended in London in 1986. During interrogations, Söring initially confessed to the murders to protect Elizabeth from the electric chair but later retracted his confession, claiming that it was she who had committed the brutal acts. a href='/krimidex/elizabeth-haysom'>Elizabeth Haysom /a> was sentenced to 90 years in prison for complicity, while Söring received two life sentences.
Timeline of the case
The investigation against Elizabeth Haysom and Jens Söring was marked by the couple's complex letters to each other, which the police later used as evidence of their joint planning. In 1987, Elizabeth struck a deal with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to 'accessory before the fact'. Her testimony was crucial for Söring's conviction in 1990. After serving 32 years of her sentence, Elizabeth Haysom was pardoned in 2019 and subsequently deported to her home country, Canada. Since her release, she has, unlike Söring, chosen to live a life out of the public eye and has declined to participate in new interviews for this Netflix production.
Watch the series
The documentary series can be streamed on Netflix worldwide. It is essential for viewers who want to understand the dynamics of a 'folie à deux', where two people reinforce each other's dark impulses. The series utilizes extensive courtroom footage and private letters that provide a unique insight into one of the most talked-about criminal cases in Virginia's history.