Overview of Wrongful Conviction #590 with Jason Flom and Jens Soering
This episode of Wrongful Conviction follows the decades-long fight to clear Jens Soering, who was convicted in 1990 for the 1985 murders of Derek and Nancy Haysom in Bedford County, Virginia. Jason Flom, along with guests John Grisham and Sheriff Chip Harding, revisits the case’s central problems: a false confession, disputed forensic evidence, prosecutorial tunnel vision, and DNA results that point away from Soering and toward unknown male profiles. The episode also includes a major update: after years of advocacy, Soering is ultimately granted parole, released from ICE custody, and returned to Germany.
The Case Against Jens Soering
How it began
- Jens Soering was a German exchange student at the University of Virginia when he began dating Elizabeth Haysom.
- Their relationship became entangled in the murder investigation after the Haysoms were found brutally stabbed to death in 1985.
- Soering says he tried to protect Haysom by taking responsibility for the crime, believing it would spare her from execution.
The confession and conviction
- Under prolonged interrogation in England, Soering gave a false confession.
- He says the confession contained major factual errors that did not match the crime scene.
- He was convicted in 1990 and spent more than three decades in prison.
Why the Guests Believe the Conviction Was Wrong
False confession, wrong details
- John Grisham emphasizes that false confessions usually do not match the physical evidence.
- In Soering’s case, key details in the confession conflicted with the crime scene, including victim placement and clothing descriptions.
Forensic evidence that later undermined the case
- Prosecutors leaned heavily on type O blood found at the scene and argued it implicated Soering.
- Later DNA testing showed that the blood was not his.
- DNA analysis reportedly excluded Soering and identified two unknown male profiles.
- Sheriff Harding describes other forensic issues as unreliable or “junk science,” including sock/footprint evidence.
Signs pointing elsewhere
- Elizabeth Haysom had a troubled history, including allegations of abuse and heavy drug use.
- She initially confessed, then recanted, and later admitted in public that she perjured herself at trial.
- Other evidence, including a car reportedly found in the woods with blood and a knife inside, suggested there were leads that were not fully pursued.
The Advocacy and Reinvestigation
Support from high-profile allies
- The episode features strong support from:
- John Grisham, who has publicly championed the case
- Sheriff Chip Harding, who conducted an independent review and came to believe Soering was railroaded
- Dr. Phil, who is mentioned as potentially helping with the clemency/parole strategy
- Amanda Knox, who also supported the case and reacted emotionally to the eventual release
The fight for release
- Soering’s legal team filed an actual innocence petition based on DNA evidence and additional family-related evidence.
- The court ordered the attorney general to respond, but the process remained slow and politically fraught.
- The conversation repeatedly returns to a key barrier: officials’ reluctance to admit the original conviction was wrong.
Major Outcome: Soering Is Finally Released
The turning point
- The episode reveals that Jens Soering was granted parole.
- He is then released from ICE custody and sent back to Germany.
Why it mattered
- Soering spent over 30 years in prison and had no disciplinary infractions.
- The release is framed as both a personal victory and a broader win for wrongful conviction awareness.
- Soering uses the moment to remind listeners that his case is only one of an estimated 100,000 wrongfully convicted people in the United States.
Key Takeaways
- False confessions can drive wrongful convictions, especially when investigators ignore contradictions.
- Old forensic assumptions can collapse under DNA testing.
- Prosecutorial and political inertia can keep an innocent person imprisoned long after doubt emerges.
- Independent review matters: outside legal and law-enforcement advocates played a major role in reexamining the case.
- Soering’s release is both a closure and a call to action for broader criminal justice reform.
Notable Quote / Theme
- Soering’s closing message is that his freedom should not be the end of the story: the justice system must also confront the many others still waiting for review.
- The episode frames his release as a rare but powerful example of persistence, new science, and public pressure overcoming a deeply flawed conviction.