Have you ever heard a journalist say, " This was the story that started it all for me?" Or a true crime blogger, podcaster, or even law enforcement says
, " This is why I do what I do?" "This was the beginning of it all for me." Let me introduce you to the case that started my love of criminal justice, true crime, investigation, the justice system, and above all, the questions and answers. The who, what, when, where, why, how, and motive. The reason for the crime. The murder. In 8th grade at Brookville Middle School, we had elective classes we could chose to take. Mrs. Wright's criminal justice class was my choice for that year. The syllabus sounded intriguing. Case studies, projects, and at the end, a mock trial in which I got to be the prosecuting attorney. But nothing prepared me for the class project. Pick a case and make a mock crime scene. I really wasn't sure where to start but after a short conversation with my bonus mom, I learned about the Haysom case. A couple murdered just 35 to 40 minutes from where we lived. This is where it all started for me. A crime scene mockup project that would have this case occupying my thoughts until this very day.
Derek William Reginald Haysom and Nancy Astor Benedict Haysom were a Lynchburg power couple who loved to socialize and dine at the local country club. Derek, a South African steel tycoon with an Ernest Hemmingway type of air and demeanor and Nancy, an artist, who came from British Royalty through Lady Astor, who was her grandmother's cousin. Lady Astor was the first woman to sit in British Parliament and had been born in Danville, Va and spent some time in Lynchburg in the early 1900s. Both Derek and Nancy came from money, but from interviews with friends, family, and neighbors they were both kind, smart, and family oriented. Nancy and Derek met in Johannesburg in the late 1950s. Both of them were divorced at the time with 5 children already between them. They married in 1960. In 1964, their only child together, Elizabeth Roxanne Haysom was born. A true yours, mine, and ours type of story. Only the "ours" turned out to be the reason Derek and Nancy Haysom met their untimely end.
Elizabeth was born April 15, 1964, in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia. In 1981, her father Derek decided to retire and move the family back to Virginia where Nancy had ties. Before that, Elizabeth was a Canadian citizen and had attended multiple boarding schools in England before moving to Virginia. Elizabeth was a bohemian type that liked to smoke at an early age and wear black attire. There was no doubt that she was spoiled as the Haysom's would spend money to send her on extravagant trips and spared no expense on a private education. Elizabeth was smart, but it was obvious that she had a wild streak, and a devil may care attitude. She had little to no self-esteem and seemed to like to test her parent's rules. Derek was a very strict man who put his foot down when it came to what schools Elizabeth would attend and who she would surround herself with. Both of Eliazbeth's parents had high hopes for her and were determined that she would be like the other children. Doctors, lawyers, and important in society. Elizabeth stated in many letters she wrote to her boyfriend that her parents never really cared about her and what she wanted. She stated in one letter that her mother told her that if something ever happened to them (her parents), she would be nothing but an aimless wonderer. As you will read later, she hard harsh feelings toward both of her parents and wrote about them in love letters to her boyfriend, Jens Soering. The boy she met in her sophomore year of college at the prestigious University of Virginia or UVA. Elizabeth was smart, but Jens, was a double scholar. Both were Jefferson Scholars which meant they both had a free ride through their college career at UVA. Jens was a nerd, but according to people that met him at UVA and even Elizabeth herself stated that he was rude and cocky. Stuck up and not very open. At first, Elizabeth found this annoying and a turn off, but eventually, I think she saw his soft spots and a person that she could manipulate. And manipulate, she did.
A relationship among Jens and Elizabeth started that was filled with obsession, manipulation, and ultimately sacrifice. Her parents murdered. Running from the law with fake identities, wigs, and bounced checks. Who did what? Who was the killer and who was the one to take the fall? Twists and turns that shocked everyone.....
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming next week.
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