Virginia Senate Republican Caucus

Today Virginia State Senator Steve Newman introduced a Senate Resolution asking the United States Department of Justice to deny the original transfer request by the Commonwealth of Virginia to send Jens Soering to his native country Germany. 

He has asked Senate members to give him unanimous consent to introduce the resolution, which the Senate granted. The language of the resolution opposes the decision by the Kaine Administration to release Jens Soering in to German custody and asks that Soering remain in the custody of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The entire draft of the resolution is attached. 

Senator Newman has also sent a letter to United States Attorney General Eric Holder asking him to deny the original transfer request and further state his support for the recent appeal by the Commonwealth that the application for Jens Soering be denied. 

In his letter to the U.S. Attorney General on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, Senator Newman stated: "The possibility of transferring Mr. Soering, who is currently serving a life sentence, to Germany where he is likely to receive parole in as little as two years is of serious concern to me and my constituents. It has opened up past wounds for those who lived through this tragedy, including the Haysom and Benedict families. 

What makes this turn of events even more troublesome is the fact that the administration did not consult with those involved in the original case, including the investigators or the victims' family before making the decision. Only after the decision had been made was the family informed. 

Mr. Louis P. Benedict, brother of Nancy Haysom, has said that he is "surprised, dumbfounded, and completely taken aback" to learn of Governor Kaine's decision. 

Jens Soering was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder in 1990, for the killing of Derek and Nancy Haysom in 1985. For these crimes he received two life sentences from the Bedford County Circuit Court. 

On January 15,2010, it was announced that former Governor Kaine sent a letter to United States Attorney General Eric Holder agreeing to the transfer of Jens Soering to a German prison. 

At the request of the Haysom and Benedict families and his local constituents, Senator Newman has asked the Virginia Attorney General and Governor Robert F. McDonnell to request that the application made by Governor Timothy M. Kaine be rescinded.