On Mar. 2, 2015, freshman Longwood University student Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell was reported to have disappeared while being home during spring break and was pronounced missing by Norfolk police the next day.
The days following her disappearance were filled with searching and interrogation of those closest to her. In the starting days of April 2015, human remains were located at an abandoned home and were later confirmed to be those of Hadsell. It was reported that Hadsell had died of heroin poisoning. Whether it was suicide, murder or an accident is still unknown, according to WAVY-TV.
It has now been a year and some months since the tragic news of Hadsell’s loss was told to her friends, family and the Longwood community. At the start of the investigation there was no one person who was suspected of her murder, according to WAVY-TV.
When asked if Longwood University is still following the story, Matt McWilliams, director of communication, shared that there was nothing that to add on the university’s side, but that their thoughts and prayers were with AJ’s family.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with her family, friends and loved ones,” stated McWilliams.
During the investigation her stepfather, Wesley Hadsell, was arrested on Mar. 21 and charged with six different crimes. Hadsell’s arrest and charges came after he had broken into the house of a friend of his stepdaughters who he felt was involved. Four were felony obstruction of justice, felony breaking and entering and possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. He claimed that his arrest had nothing to do with the death of his stepdaughter.
On July 22, 2016 Hadsell was indicted in Ohio with a charge of raping and kidnapping a woman back in Aug. 25 2005, according to the Virginian Pilot. He has recently served time for robbing a bank during the time of the kidnapping, but charges were dropped and have been brought against him again.
In regards to the charges he faced during the start of the debate, according to WAVY-TV, charges were dropped in September of 2015, but he plead guilty to a federal weapons charge and is looking at a possible sentence of life in prison.
"As a concerned father, I couldn't sit around and do nothing either so that's why they accused me of what I'm accused for. I've never hid that fact," Hadsell told WTKR 3.
Since certain details of the case are still unknown, no one has been charged in the death of Hadsell and the investigation is still ongoing. According to an article on Mar. 24, 2016 in The Virginian Pilot, a witness who is being held in the same place as Hadsell’s stepfather has come forward with information pertaining to Hadsell’s role in his stepdaughter’s death.
According an article published Mar. 29, 2016 in Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen, authorities have been working to connect Hadsell’s stepfather to her death and have not been able to find any connections. Hadsell’s stepfather still claims that he had nothing to do with the death of his stepdaughter.
