Elizabeth Haysom and her boyfriend became prime suspects in the horrific double murder of her parents in 1985; although the case may not have been as clear cut as once assumed, but where is she now? The murders sparked an international manhunt, and facts emerged as the world became invested in the dreadful story.
However, even now, there are grey areas in the whole sordid affair, and the fascination with the story seems to continue.
True crime is indeed an obsession for many people, and with cases such as this one, it is easy to see why.
Murder, intrigue, international manhunts, disguises, and forged documentation may sound like elements from a movie, but this story is real, with real consequences for those involved.
Who is Elizabeth Haysom, and what did she do?
Elizabeth Roxanne Haysom was born in April 1964 in Salisbury, Zimbabwe. Her parents were Derek William Reginald Haysom and his wife, Nancy Astor Haysom.
The couple married in 1960, and Elizabeth would study as a child in Switzerland before attending Wycombe Abbey in the UK.
However, pressured to perform well by her parents, she would not do well in her final year at the renowned institute, failing her exams and embarking on a more leisurely path, visiting Europe and experimenting with drugs. Eventually, she would return to her parents, and after her father retired, the three would move to Virginia in the US.
Enrolling at the University of Virginia, she would meet her boyfriend, Jens Soering, the son of a German diplomat, and would bond over their mutual dislike of their parents. In 1985, the couple, now very much in love, would travel to Washington and spend the weekend there before heading back to Charlottesville, a trip that was alleged to have occurred to falsify an alibi.
In early April, Elizabeth was contacted by the police, informing her that her parents in Bedford County had been murdered. Police would explore all avenues of the case, and it was not long before the young couple would come under scrutiny. In a damning move, they would flee the country, traveling through Europe on falsified documents to evade capture.
The plan was to get to Thailand, where Jens had been born, and apply for citizenship, and the pair would eventually end up in the UK via Moscow.
However, in London in 1986, they were arrested for cheque fraud and shoplifting, leading to them being extradited to the US, where they were suspects in the double murder of Elizabeth’s parents.
In the following investigation, Jens Soering would confess to the killings, a claim he would later refute, saying Elizabeth had murdered her parents, and he had only confessed to protect her.
When sentenced, Jens would claim he was innocent. The small-town trial made history as it was the first trial to be broadcast nationally in the US. Jens was convicted of murder and received a life sentence. Elizabeth was also convicted as an accessory to the killings and was sentenced to ninety years.
Where is Elizabeth Haysom Now?
Elizabeth was eighteen at the time of the murders, and in November 2019, she and Soering were released from prison.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch would report that the chair of the Virginia Parole Board, Adrianne L. Bennett, said, “The parole board has determined that releasing Jens Söering and Elizabeth Haysom to their ICE deportation detainers is appropriate because of their youth at the time of the offenses, their institutional adjustment and the length of their incarceration.”
Elizabeth was returned to Canada, and Soering was sent back to Germany and may never return to the US.
What is Elizabeth Haysom doing now?
There is very little information about Elizabeth now. After her deportation back to Canada, we can only assume that she keeps a low profile and will no doubt actively avoid the public eye.
Various documentaries have been made about the case, and years later, some filmmakers would speculate about the case, the trial, and evidence that suggested that Soering may not have been involved in the actual murders.
The 2016 documentary Killing for Love explores this fascinating aspect, offering testimony and evidence that suggest that Elizabeth may have been behind the murders and used Soering as a scapegoat.
What is your take on this terrible crime? Let us know in the comments below.
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