Söring Leaves his Bubble, Faces Skepticism
People brand-new to Söring's story don't seen convinced.
First, our new regular feature:
Jens Söring DNA Watch
On June 28, 2022, the podcast “Small Town Big Crime” revealed to the world that Jens Söring has been presented with a plan to use cutting-edge DNA analysis methods to test the evidence in his case and, possibly, secure fresh, definitive results. The plan was developed with the help of and/or approved by several members of Team Söring as well as the prosecution. It has now been
19
days since those episodes were broadcast, and Söring has still neither agreed to the testing nor explained why he refuses.
And now to our regularly-scheduled programming.
Just over a week ago, Jens Söring appeared on the wildly popular German YouTube channel Leeroy wills wissen (“Leeroy wants to know”). As I noted before, I thought Leeroy did a much better than average job of probing and fact-checking Söring’s story, in a non-confrontational way. What’s unusual here is that Leeroy has a whopping 2.18 million subscribers. The video with Söring has been watched over 800,000 times to date.
Since Söring’s dedicated fan base (as measured by his Facebook followers) is only about 7,000 people, the vast majority of the people watching Leeroy’s interview are completely new to the case, and they’re hearing Söring’s story for the first time (for instance, they don’t know what became of Elizabeth, or that Söring is estranged from his own family). This makes the comments quite revealing.
And there’s tons of them! The video now has almost 5,000 comments, and most of them are skeptical. I browsed through them for a while, and overall, it seemed to go about 70-30 skeptical of Söring’s story. Recommendations to listen to the “Söring System” podcast for a different perspective were constant. Below is a sample of some of the critical comments, quickly translated into English.
How will Söring react to this decidedly mixed reception? If the past is prologue, he will adopt, adapt, and improve his story. Söring has already released his first YouTube video discussing his case, and it shows that he has been paying careful attention to what I and other critics have written about his story. In particular, he’s seen that his “I thought I had diplomatic immunity” claim has been nearly demolished, so he rushes to its aid with yet more caveats and clarifications (he still gets basic facts wrong, though, which I’ll highlight in a future post).
He will doubtless comb through these YouTube comments, take note of where his story faced skepticism, and introduce some subtle changes. I’ve lost count, but I guess we’re on Söring Innocence Story Version 7.0. I’m sure 8.0 is being cooked up as we speak. I, of course, will be here to point out which changes Söring has made.
Here’s a selection of comments:
marcel 0205
Very educated man. Which makes it kind of dangerous. He can sell himself very well. I just wonder how he can give a detailed confession when he was not at the crime scene and never talked to his girlfriend about the night again.
Pia N
So I understand that Leeroy's platform is there to let people tell their story. However, in view of Söring's tour through the media and the public criticism of him as well as the oddness of his story, I would have preferred a far more critical interview. But there was no serious questioning.
Ma ta
found the video super interesting. I actually didn't know the case before either. He can articulate very well and seems very educated. Nevertheless, I had a queasy feeling about his appearance while watching. It came across to me more as if he wanted to convince everyone of his innocence instead of just telling them about his life just now. Now that I have looked into the case even more, I have even greater doubts... Nevertheless, my greatest respect for 33 years of imprisonment
Julia fhd
listen to the podcast "Das System Söring". It cases a whole different light on the case, because it deals with all of the arguments and evidence and not just the ones that fit Söring’s version
Jascha W.
Leeroy, why don't you invite Soring to your show together with a case insider who has addressed Söring's claims of innocence and has already published about them? I bet Söring will immediately refuse a joint discussion. Otherwise, ask Söring why he has so far refused any appearances with people who are very well informed about his case;-) Thank you!
Joachim K.
Leeroy, I really like your interviews. But I think giving such a person a platform is a no-go. The only thing I find worse is that he has also sat on public TV shows and everyone pretended that he was innocent and good and kind.
chleck5
He is a thoroughly lost and manipulative person. Anyone who listens to the podcast understands how crooked, selfish and mendacious this person was and still is
lelele lelele
RECOMMENDATION
Listen to the podcast "Das System Söring" and form your own opinion.... For me it is incomprehensible how one can doubt the guilt of this man and even go so far as to worship him like a pop star….
Manu Holy
Why can't I believe him....
Alex koop
Once again, a (murderer) is given a platform where he is not confronted with incriminating details but rather allowed to recite his own stories.
If you look more closely at the case, it is difficult to be convinced of innocence
Mr.worldwide
Please do not invite him again. A man who is highly manipulative, discredits all who question his innocence and has built up a network that former members describe as cult-like -- because only his innocence and his fight against the evil legal system counts. Through his manipulative ways and with the help of the media, he is now trying to wipe his slate clean. I wasn't there and he will probably take the knowledge of who really is the perpetrator to his grave, but this man is 100% not innocent. The podcast "Das System Söring" looks at all this from a different angle. So please don't give him a platform again, thank you! Love your videos Leeroy keep up the good work
Julian H.
When you read the Wright Report in its entirety, you have no more doubts about his guilt. However, you have to invest about 14 hours of time.
j n
Unfortunately, I think it's pretty bad to give this person such a platform. There is a lot of information about how manipulative he is and he keeps making false statements, all very very questionable.
Andrea-Aurelia
I don't believe him. Everything seems very contrived and constructed to me.
What about: After the crime, my friend and I knew: One of us did it.
(???) For me, he is someone who - due to his intelligence - cleverly exploits it to create generate red herrings false leads and to confuse. Sorry *
Paul Düsseldorf
Sorry Leeroy, lasted until 14:13. That was all we could do. Interviews aren’t fun when you feel lied to (Don't know the story)
Karsyn Eat my Mangos
Dear Sirs, I recommend you to enter "the Söring system" on Youtube or on podcast platforms (everything is well documented there) and form your own opinion instead of blindly believing everything
Lea
My thoughts exactly. I really like Leeroy's videos because he treats people with so much respect. Some of the previous interview partners were also criminals, but they have reflected on and repented of their actions and some have even gone into prevention work (Pollux <3). But Söring is just putting on another PR show to manipulate even more people. I hope Leeroy takes the video down.
Live Love Lars
Dear Leeroy, actually I like your way of doing interviews, just not here. Because without asking critical questions, you have given a double murderer a stage here to proclaim his innocence and indirectly promote his books. Next time you have a case like this, you should do your research beforehand and follow up on his story accordingly.
Alija B.
The guy didn't tell the whole story! How he got busted etc . My feeling is that he is at least an accomplice, if not a perpetrator!
He talks the world the way he wants it to be.
Jürgen F.
But Jens forgot to mention that he told the lead investigator things about the murder that only the murderer could have known - and that was the crux of the matter - even today the investigator says that Jens was the murderer - no matter how much evidence he brings forward!
Etzio Audiotorture
But there are still doubts about Jens Söring's innocence and he could not refute the question of guilt. Jens what do you say to the accusation that you didn't want to comply with your residence-registration obligation to prevent Elizabeth’s lawyer from suing you?
Good Kid
Listen to the podcast Sörings System. Will change your opinion of him. I don't believe a word he says.
Maxi
I can only recommend that everyone read the Wikipedia article. It doesn't exactly make Söring look good. Countless points against him were not mentioned here: He has had violent fantasies against her parents, he could describe the crime in detail, he removed all fingerprints in his car and in the flat after the crime, he was seen with bruises after the crime, he never mentioned diplomatic immunity, he left a footprint at the crime scene, he has tangled himself in numerous contradictions.
A S
I saw the video here and didn't buy a word the guy said. Many people are easily manipulated, but many are not. Read original report by terry wright last night. I can only recommend it.
Tibornator
Listen to the podcast "The Söring System"!
This guy is a clever manipulator. But also a justly convicted cheque fraudster and double murderer. His conviction was not reversed simply because Virginia did not want to pay compensation, rather but because there are no sufficient grounds for setting it aside. Each of his appeals were rejected. For good reasons!
Jasmin M.
I wonder who paid the legal fees for over 30 years? Especially in America, not cheap.
1 REPLY
Julian H. all pro bono
Carina M.
Please listen to the podcast "The Soring System". This man is undoubtedly the perpetrator and is now trying to make a profit out of it and Leeroy is also giving him a platform to do so.
Thomas D.
Question for Jens: How could you explain and act out the father's murder in detail to the police?
How do you explain your remarks in the letters? e.g. the idea of a possible robbery.
The story that these are notes for a book is hard to believe!
Dustin
Extremely unpleasant person and uncomfortable feeling when listening….
Nisha W.
First of all: this post reflects MY opinion only, no one has to share it. My opinion:
For me, the innocent-lamb approach doesn't work... After watching this video, please just read the Wikipedia entry on Jens Söring. Just the things he left out of Leeroy to make him look better. Example: he mentioned that he and his girlfriend were eventually arrested - but he did not say WHY. For shoplifting/fraud! Means: both persons ARE criminals, no matter in which form. Question: how likely do you think it was that it was their very first shoplifting/fraud?...
I also notice contradictions. In the video he says he spoke to his girlfriend about the crime exactly once and then never again and he never saw the crime scene. How can it be then that, according to Wikipedia, an absolutely exact sketch and description of the crime scene came from Jens years later?
He also did not mention anything about his seemingly insane letters with violent fantasies before the crime with Leeroy. Of course not, then he would no longer be an innocent lamb.
Everyone can decide for themselves what looks more serious: a polished interview where everything negative has been left out - or a well-researched Wikipedia entry.
TOOL is a commitment 20 hours ago (edited)
What does Jens say about the letters and the evidence from Argon Lab's podcast "Das System Söring"?
Maren
I have now listened to the podcast "The Söring System" recommended here and unfortunately I have to say that I hope there will be no continuation of this interview! He really should not be given another platform on which to spread his tall tales.
I also have to say: from the title of the video, I expected something different. It is really only a justification on his part why he acted as he did. His justifications raise an extremely large number of questions - more than they answer. It's just all not coherent.
Ines L.
I usually never post comments on Youtube. I had never heard of Söring before this video & believed everything he said in the video, would hardly have questioned it - but then read the comments here anyway. That's how I came across the podcast 'Das System Söring' and immediately listened to it in its entirety. After listening to the podcast, one can no longer believe Söring. I am 100% sure that he committed the crime. Leeroy, please set the record straight in a second video on this topic and invite someone to critically question Söring WITHOUT once again offering Jens Söring a stage for his untruths. He should not be allowed to rake in so much money with his story, in principle he is now also enriching himself by having murdered two people.
Gregor H
Hello Jens, after seeing the documentary "Killing for Love" I was convinced of your innocence. Now that more and more facts about the case are coming out publicly, I have a few questions for you:
1. How can you go to the cinema in another city and be seen by absolutely no one? Normally you buy a ticket, the ticket is checked at the entrance, you see other people in the cinema. Why could no one, such as a member of staff, cinema-goers or a taxi driver, confirm that you were there at the time of the crime?
2. In the interview with Leeroy you said that you never talked to Elizabeth about the crime. How could you then reveal so much perpetrator knowledge in your confessions, for example regarding the course of the crime and even regarding the location of the bodies? 0
3. Where did the wounds on your hand come from after the crime?
4. What do you say to people from your former circle of supporters who report that you are said to be very manipulative and who are now no longer convinced of your innocence?
striped panda
It would be interesting to hear what Söring has to say about the injuries he sustained at the funeral.
If you read his Wikipedia entry you get a completely different picture of him. Namely that he can sell himself well and has an answer ready for every questionable action on his part.
He doesn't seem innocent to me, rather very calculated and highly manipulative. The very fact that he originally assumed that he could not be prosecuted due to his father's diplomatic status.
What is with the letters showing what kind of violent fantasies he had in relation to the parents?
Vlt Mr
What man would actually take on a double murder for his beloved? How realistic is it to never speak to Elizabeth about this act? Who would simply leave everything he has worked for in his life so far behind, for example the scholarship?) Who would flee abroad with a murderess who must have had an accomplice? Moreover, Jens' implausible version of events in Washington weighs heavily. None of this adds up. Finally, Jens has a crystal clear motive: His obsession with Elizabeth (exacerbated by his mental illness) and hatred of her parents, as Elizabeth's mother sexually abused her by force. Ultimately, the knowledge of the perpetrator revealed by Jens in the various □confessions also weighs too heavily to simply wipe it off the table.
Bibro
I somehow don't believe him. Sounds more like he's talked himself into something over the years.
Lotz Protz
Question: what do you say to the podcast "the Söring system"? Why didn't you let yourself be interviewed for that critical appraisal of your case, although you are currently giving interviews on very many channels?
ähigai
(Is it just me or does he give the impression that he is proud of the fact that the policeman said he had never seen such a bad crime scene?
Wiebke K.
I'm not an expert, but I still don't believe him. His words are clean in content, his charisma, body language, facial expressions and gestures seem uncertain and rehearsed. Maybe they did it together...
Söring Leaves his Bubble, Faces Skepticism
I don't think Julian H's response that it was 'all pro bono' as being the answer to the question of who paid the legal fees over the years is entirely accurate. Some of it was, and latterly. But first of all, I feel certain that the German embassy/foreign office of the Federal Republic paid out extremely large legal fees in Britain in its successful campaign to save Soering's life at the extradition phase of the case. The European court at Strasbourg gave West Germany some of this money back when it won on the extradition legal concession that Bedford had to make, but I doubt this approached what was spent by the embassy and foreign office. Jens got absolutely first class legal support. That is why he is alive today.
Simultaneously, it was Jens's father who paid lawyer's fees up to and through the trial, and even some years after the 1990 sentencing and incarceration. Mr. Soering took better paid hardship duty in places like West Africa to continue to meet the continuing legal burden, as Jen has told us. Incidentally, I see Jens as being a merciless taskmaster, and there was going to be no end to it, which I think his family came finally to understand. I also think the family is utterly appalled to see what he is doing to a fine family name with a solid record of distinguished government service going back probably to the Nineteenth century. I also heard that an American woman who had been a college friend of Jens's mother when she was a young student in the US put up some money for a further appeal, at one point.
What I would find very interesting here about the comments wouldn't be the skeptics, but rather the believers. What are their reasons for believing in Jens Soering and accepting his story? If Soering got fifteen hundred supporters from this televised interview, a show that was responded to by some five thousand viewers (!) and seen by some 800,000 people...well, isn't that a good haul? He knows that he needs to keep doing this. It's working! He seems to be slowly putting together a base. This could be the foundation of a religious/spiritual group, a secular sodality that might have intellectual underpinnings and a design similar to Bandler and Grinder's NLP ('Neurolinguistic Programming'), which Jens was studying back in 1984-85. Incidentally, I suspect that Jens may have used NLP successfully before, as a prisoner. And he is using NLP right now in his public appearances. Some of it is, of course, his being raised to understand and employ good manners, given a solid upper middle-class background --but there is something more to it beyond this, and beyond the long-haul convict's knowledge and practice of manipulation. I think that this owes something to NLP.
Question: Is Jens winning?