▁H ays om ▁was ▁ 2 0 , ▁the ▁bodies ▁of ▁D erek ▁and ▁Nancy ▁H ays om ▁were ▁discovered . ▁They ▁had ▁been ▁slash ed ▁and ▁st ab bed ▁to ▁death ▁in ▁their ▁home ▁in ▁the ▁then ▁ ▁un in cor por ated ▁ham let ▁of ▁Bo ons bor o , ▁in ▁Bed ford ▁County , ▁Virginia . ▁Both ▁D erek ▁and ▁Nancy ▁were ▁almost ▁dec ap itated . ▁The ▁couple ' s ▁bodies ▁were ▁not ▁discovered ▁until ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁murder . ▁During ▁the ▁tim eline ▁of ▁the ▁murder , ▁Elizabeth ▁H ays om ▁had ▁r ented ▁a ▁car . ▁She ▁and ▁J ens ▁drove ▁to ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁to ▁establish ▁an ▁al ib i . ▁ ▁Fl ight ▁to ▁England ▁Elizabeth ▁H ays om ▁and ▁J ens ▁S ör ing ▁were ▁not ▁initially ▁suspect s ▁in ▁the ▁H ays oms ' ▁mur ders . ▁Six ▁months ▁after ▁the ▁murder , ▁S ör ing ▁and ▁H ays om ▁went ▁to ▁England , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁arrested , ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁for ▁writing ▁over ▁$ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁($ ▁today ) ▁in ▁fake ▁c ash ier ▁checks ▁and ▁then ▁using ▁false ▁documentation ▁and ▁lying ▁to ▁the ▁police ▁in ▁London . ▁ ▁Con v ict ions ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁instead ▁of ▁going ▁to ▁trial , ▁then ▁ 2 3 - year - old ▁H ays om ▁ple aded ▁guilty ▁to ▁two ▁counts ▁of ▁access ory ▁to