May 3, 2017, News Release from Albemarle County Sheriff Chip Harding:

Albemarle Sheriff J.E. “Chip” Harding has written a 19 page letter to Governor Terry McAuliffe in support of the release of Jens Soering. The letter will be included in the 2nd Supplement to the Pardon Petition that will be forwarded to the Governor by Soering’s attorney Steve Rosenfield.

Three months ago Rosenfield, who has worked on behalf of Soering pro bono for the past 6 years, had asked Sheriff Harding if he would review the Soering investigation and trial for the 1985 murders of Bedford County residents Derek and Nancy Haysom. Harding has given over 200 hours pro bono so far in his investigation.

It is believed that this is the first time in Virginia’s history that an active Sheriff has written such a letter of support to a Pardon request. Harding stated in his letter that he began his examination with knowledge of the case gained over the years from the news. He assumed Soering was probably guilty and he was in agreement with Governor McDonnell’s move to block Soering from being released to Germany.

He has now reached a conclusion that Soering could not be convicted today on the evidence that has since surfaced or was improperly submitted or omitted from the jury. He further states the evidence, some of which was confirmed this week, appears to support a case for his innocence.

Harding’s letter follows letters of support written in recent years by two retired investigators that have also reviewed Soering’s case. Former Bedford Sheriff Investigator Chuck Reid, who was one of the lead investigators on the Haysom murders in 1985 reached the same conclusion as Harding. Former Prince William County Police Department, Master Detective and first President of the “Virginia Homicide Association” Dave Watson, worked on the case for a year as a hired private investigator, wrote a letter in 2012 stating that there was not enough evidence to convict beyond a reasonable doubt.