Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Tuesday refused to recommend parole for Jens Soering, a twice-convicted murderer serving two life sentences for killing his girlfriend’s parents in 1985. McDonnell reviewed the politically sensitive case at the request of Soering’s lawyer, but concluded that “nothing in the information provided by Soering or his attorney provides any basis for me to doubt the judgment of the jury in this case or the veracity of Soering’s own confessions.”
Soering’s lawyer, Gail Ball, said the governor’s move was not unexpected.
Under Virginia law, the Parole Board is responsible for determining the outcome of requests, McDonnell noted.
Soering has proclaimed his innocence, claiming he confessed to the murders only to ensure his girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom, would be spared the death penalty. Soering, the son of a German diplomat, mistakenly believed he had diplomatic immunity.
Soering’s case gained international attention. Then-Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat now running for U.S. Senate, drew broad criticism when, in one of his final acts in office, he granted Soering’s request to be transferred to a prison in his native Germany. Kaine said he had received assurances from German authorities that Soering would not be quickly released once he was transferred and said it was time for Germany to start paying the cost of Soering’s incarceration.
McDonnell, who succeeded Kaine, rescinded that decision and left Soering in a Virginia prison. Soering has since sued McDonnell over that decision and claims there is DNA evidence that would exclude him as a suspect.
Republicans, meanwhile, are seeking to turn Soering into a campaign issue that could hurt Kaine in the 2012 Senate race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has sought records related to Soering from the State Department, the Justice Department, two correctional centers in Virginia, and the governor’s office. So far, the committee has come up empty.
