Episodes

  • Trailer: The Jens Soering Case: A New Verdict

    Trailer: The Jens Soering Case: A New Verdict
    Oct 19 2023
    The trailer for "The Jens Soering Case: A New Verdict" Cold-blooded killer or victim of injustice? Naive nerd and lifesaver or calculated double murderer of his then-girlfriend's parents? In this 10-part podcast series, the two hosts, Daniela Hillers and Ralph Guise-Ruebe, take a critical look at the murder case from the 1980s: the murder of the Haysom couple in Virginia in 1985, which for decades has also become the "Jens Soering case." Could there be an indictment and conviction based on the evidence today? Was the 1990 trial lawful? What are the differences between the USA and Germany? In addition to Jens Soering himself, a total of 14 experts on the case are featured, including best-selling author John Grisham, former crime scene investigator Chuck Reid, and a former friend and co-inmate of Elizabeth Haysom, all of whom provide insightful insider knowledge. What if the story was completely different? "The Jens Soering Case: A New Verdict" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    3 mins
  • Journey through time

    Journey through time
    Oct 31 2023
    In June 2023, Daniela Hillers is heading to Washington for a trip back in time. The shocking double murder of Derek and Nancy Haysom in 1985 rocked the peaceful town of Lynchburg in the state of Virginia. The suspects in this case are Elizabeth Haysom, the daughter, and her then-boyfriend, Jens Söring, the son of a German diplomat. Their hasty departure from the USA raised suspicions that they might be involved in the Haysom couple's murders. This sets off a daring journey across Asia and Europe, ultimately leading to their arrest and detention. During her investigation, Daniela gains access to the evidence room and archives, conducts exclusive interviews, and talks to locals. It becomes clear that the shock from those past murders still lingers, and opinions about "the German guy" remain divided. Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 mins
  • 1) The case and the judge

    1) The case and the judge
    Oct 31 2023
    A fair trial or a witch-hunt? The court proceedings against Jens Soering became a public show trial and media spectacle. Was the German honors student presented as a convenient fall guy? Was Judge William Sweeney really biased? How did the jury reach its guilty verdict? The images of the chubby-cheeked German in front of an American court are deeply etched in public memory. What role does a judge play when presiding over a high-profile criminal trial? More on this in this episode of the podcast “The Jens Soering Case – A New Verdict.” Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • 2) The confession

    2) The confession
    Oct 31 2023
    Since his trial in 1990, Jens Soering has insisted that his false confession was intended to protect his girlfriend at the time, Elizabeth Haysom, from execution. Do people really confess to murders and accept long prison sentences for others? In the second episode of this podcast, the focus is not only on Soering’s confessions but also on the interrogation methods used at the time. What types of false confessions are there? What weight does a confession carry in an indictment and later at trial? More on this in this episode of the podcast “The Jens Soering Case – A New Verdict.” Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • 3) The key witness

    3) The key witness
    Oct 31 2023
    Showdown of the former lovers in court: During the three-week trial in June 1990, Jens Soering and Elizabeth Haysom meet again for the first time since their arrest in 1986. Their encounter takes place in front of the cameras. Elizabeth Haysom takes the stand as the prosecution’s star witness. But how reliable is her testimony? Can you believe a witness who makes a deal with the prosecutor and has lied so many times in the past? How should her unusually close relationship with prosecutor James Updike be assessed? More on this in this episode of the podcast “The Jens Soering Case – A New Verdict.” Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    35 mins
  • 4) The blood

    4) The blood
    Oct 31 2023
    “DNA tests solve the case.” How often do we read headlines like this today? In the 2020s, DNA plays an essential role in criminal investigations and trials. But in the Jens Soering case, new DNA findings and expert opinions are hotly contested decades after the trial and years after his release. Does the genetic evidence from 2022 say something different than the serological evidence in 1990? What information do the DNA traces found at the scene of the Haysom murders provide about Jens Soering as a possible perpetrator? Does the absence of DNA at the crime scene prove the absence of a suspect? More on this in this episode of the podcast “The Jens Soering Case – A New Verdict.” Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • 5) The sockprint and the shoe

    5) The sockprint and the shoe
    Oct 31 2023
    “It fits Soering like a glove” — that’s what the prosecutor told the jury about a sock print found at the crime scene. After the trial one of the jurors confirmed that Jens Soering was only found guilty because of a sock print called LR3. But how does Judge Ralph Guise-Ruebe see this piece of evidence today? Was it “junk science” or conclusive proof of guilt? How much weight should sock print analysis be given in criminal proceedings? More on this in this episode of the podcast “The Jens Soering Case – A New Verdict.” Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins
  • 6) Suppressed and new evidence

    6) Suppressed and new evidence
    Oct 31 2023
    Carelessness or malfeasance? Years after Jens Soering’s conviction, various new pieces of evidence came to light. The jury at his trial was never told about the results of a luminol test on the getaway car, chief investigator Chuck Reid did not testify as a witness - on top of that: in 2016 the existence of a drawn up FBI perpetrator profile from 1985 is denied.  Procedural errors by the court in Bedford and a failure of the criminal defense attorney, who later lost his license because of errors he made in Soering’s case? Does new and suppressed evidence provide a different view on the verdict 33 years later? More on this in this episode of the podcast “The Jens Soering Case – A New Verdict.” Due to the international nature of the case, the original voices of Daniela and Ralph were replaced with English AI voices so that English-speaking listeners can also enjoy the podcast. However, in Episode 10, you will hear the original voices of the two hosts. If you want to learn more about the Jens Soering case, Investigator Chuck Reid shares his perspective in an exclusive report. He delves into observations and evidence that didn't even come to light during the original trial. For more information, check out: www.soering-case.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins