Netflix's Haysom Murder Series Reignites Debate Over a 1985 Crime
The four-part docuseries 'Till Murder Do Us Part' presents a two-perpetrator theory in the deaths of Derek and Nancy Haysom, drawing fresh scrutiny to a case that has defined decades of legal controversy.
Netflix's four-part docuseries "Till Murder Do Us Part: Deadly Women" has revived one of America's most contentious murder cases, focusing on the brutal 1985 killings of Derek and Nancy Haysom in their Bedford County, Virginia home.
Jens Söring, a German citizen and former University of Virginia student, was convicted in connection with the murders. For decades, he has maintained his innocence while serving a lengthy prison sentence. According to his account, he confessed to the crimes alone to protect his then-girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom—the couple's daughter—from facing the death penalty.
Elizabeth Haysom was also convicted in connection with the murders, typically reported in legal documents as an accessory or conspirator, though specific charges vary by jurisdiction.
## The Evidence That Convicted Söring
Prosecutors built their case on multiple pieces of evidence: Type O blood found at the scene matching Söring's blood type, a bloody sock print, and multiple confessions from the defendant himself. These factors proved decisive in securing his conviction.
However, the forensic landscape shifted in 2009 when state-ordered DNA testing allegedly eliminated Söring as the source of the Type O blood samples that had been used against him at trial. A forensic podiatrist consulted for the Netflix series later concluded that the sock print closely matched Söring's foot—though notably, neither Söring's nor Haysom's shoes matched the evidence prints recovered from the crime scene.
## Netflix's Two-Perpetrator Theory
The docuseries concludes with the suggestion that both Söring and Haysom were present at the Haysom home on the night of the murders. The Netflix investigation builds this theory on several pieces of evidence:
