I am still working on an English translation of the complaint I filed with the ZDF yesterday. But I have some interesting news about Jens Söring. Anyone who thought he was going to resume his private life and focus on the future was surely disabused by his performance on Markus Lanz last week.
But there’s going to be much more to come from him. Söring is currently writing a book for Random House/Bertelsmann, and rumors have it that he received quite a handsome advance for it. But that’s not all! There may be yet another documentary about Söring’s case. Netflix has contacted Markus Vetter (one of the two directors of 2016’s pro-Söring propaganda film Das Versprechen/Killing for Love), to direct another documentary about Söring’s case. He has not yet reached a decision. According to my media sources, Netflix wants to create a series which re-hashes Söring’s discredited innocence claims. We’re likely going to hear from the usual suspects: Chip Harding, Andrew Griffiths, Chuck Reid, Stanley Lapekas, Amanda Knox, Jason Flom, John Grisham, etc.
Who knows? Perhaps this time they’ll actually find the supposed drug dealer and “real killer”, whom Söring has accused of helping Elizabeth Haysom kill her own parents. That is, until Söring’s German lawyers ordered him to stop blaming Elizabeth for fear of defamation lawsuits. This mystery killer has gone by many different names as Söring’s story has changed over the years. Söring called the alleged drug dealer “Jim Farmer” at his 1990 trial, “Jack Bauer” in his 1995 book “Mortal Thoughts”, and finally “Jeff Ranchero” in his 2012 German book “Nicht Schuldig!”.
What’s you’re favorite? Mine’s “Jeff Ranchero” — it’s got that vaguely sinister South of the Border flair. Plus, the Ford Ranchero was a pretty awesome ride:
Of course, the filmmakers are going to have a pretty tough time finding Farmer/Bauer/Ranchero, since he doesn’t exist.
All fun aside, what this means is Jens Söring is still obsessing about his case. And German media folks are still willing to broadcast propaganda on his behalf.
But at last, finally, momentum is shifting. My articles for the FAZ, and the report from Terry Wright and Kenneth Beever, have begun creating seismic shifts in the perception of Söring and his story. Every day, I receive messages from people (including many former Söring supporters) thanking me for correcting the record, and expressing their shock at the one-sided nature of German reporting on the case. Again and again they say: “I had no idea there was so much evidence against him. Nobody in the German media ever mentioned any of it.”
For a long while I was the only German-speaking journalist who critically scrutinized Söring’s story. But now others are beginning to realize how shaky Söring’s claims are. I have sent copies of the ZDF broadcast complaint to people associated with Söring, making it clear that I and like-minded people are paying minute attention to everything Söring says. We will make sure that the language barrier presents no obstacle to the truth. If he makes an damaging accusation against anybody, be it Elizabeth Haysom, the judges in his trials and appeals, American or British detectives, lab workers, expert witnesses, his former lawyers, college associates, or anyone else, that person will have an English translation of the statement the next day, along with a primer on Germany’s highly restrictive criminal slander and defamation laws. The days when Söring could casually besmirch people’s reputations while making his discredited innocence claims are over.
And gradually, the message is getting out there. Next week I’ll be appearing on the German podcast Medienwoche (Media Week), a podcast co-hosted by reporters for the Welt newspaper and the MEEDIA website. Tune in to hear my barely-adequate German!
And Jens, if you’re reading this, take some friendly advice. Stop obsessing about your conviction. It’s over and done with. You will never be able to get the pardon from the media that you couldn’t get from the governor. Nobody wants to hear the 5th (or is it 6th?) version of why you’re innocent of the crimes you confessed to. Leave the past, and focus on the future. You’ll save yourself an enormous amount of trouble.
He’s got to make the most of it so he must stick to his fabricated story of innocence.
Great stuff, keep up the good work!
Is there any likelihood of a detailed interview with EH by yourself and/ or Holdsworth? Would be a fascinating counterpoint.
Thank you, Andrew, for your enormous efforts for truth and dignity! Because of people likeminded you this world is a better place.