Jens Soering's Audiotaped Statements from 5 and 6 June 1986

Plus, a brief update on (non-)coverage of the Soering case.

Cartoon “upscaled” by yours truly.

I started this blog years ago 2020 on Wordpress, and have transferred many of the still-relevant posts here over the past few years. But one thing I realized I forgot is the audiotapes of Jens Soering’s statements to police in the Richmond Police Station. Here they are, uncut and unedited except to reduce noise and hiss.

Here is the 5 June 1986 statement:

And here’s the 6 June 1986 statement:

I can’t seem to locate the 7 June 1986 recording at the moment, but I’ll post it as soon as I find it. Let me know what you think in the comments!

In other news, I have been in contact with a few journalists over the past few months privately (in addition to my decidedly public interactions with Bettina Röhl). I don’t know whether this is a product of Soering’s overtures or whether producers just typed in “famous true crime cases” into German Google looking for content.

By now, they told me, my name is so closely associated with the case that it comes up almost immediately in their research. Further, after they dig in a bit more, it becomes clear that (1) Söring’s statements about his case cannot be trusted; and (2) many German journalists and politicians have gotten into deep trouble by ignoring (1). These journos generally run several of Soering’s talking points by me (Elizabeth, DNA, allegations against the Haysom family, sockprint, etc.). I give them my perspective and offer documents to back up my claims.

As I speak to them, I can see/hear their interest in the case dwindle. They realize Soering’s complaints are the same ones he’s been making for years or decades, and that the case has already been explored from every angle. They also realize that if they truly want to create a balanced program (which they all claim as their goal), they will at least have to read the Wright Report, if not also my book (4.6 stars, 59 reviews!) and Siegfried Stang’s Nebelkerzen.

At this point, it’s a cost-benefit calculation: How much time will I need to spend researching this case versus how likely is it I’ll find a newsworthy angle? Why waste 10 hours reading the Wright report when there’s nothing new in the case except for outlandish accusations which have already been investigated and dismissed?

These outlets are generally in the mid-range tier of the German media; neither obscure podcasts nor major broadcasters. They may decide to go ahead with Söring projects, but they will know the story is far less complex than Söring makes it out to be, and that there is a counterargument to every claim he makes. For that matter, I would be very surprised if Bettina Röhl is still on the case at this point. If she is, I wish her luck finding a halfway respectable outlet for it. After the Internet admired the flaming scimitars of truth and justice I brandished here a few weeks ago, she’ll need it.

The most important thing is that no major outlet has decided to publicize the recent claims against the Haysom family which Soering had been teasing for months and which he referred to in a since-deleted Tiktok video. That, at least, is a win for the privacy and the dignity of the Haysom family, who have had to deal with more than enough nonsense over the years.

I’ll be back soon with a German-language version of one of the most popular posts on this blog. Stay tuned!