Photo: Norfolk Sheriff’s Office
Nearly four years after the mysterious death of Virginia college studentAngelica “A.J.” Hadsell, her adoptive father stands accused of killing her and hiding her body in a ditch.
Wesley Hadsell, 40, is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree felony murder, and concealment of a dead body, PEOPLE confirms. He is already serving a 10-year sentence on unrelated federal ammunition violations.
Hadsell had long been a suspect in the death of his daughter, who was home in Norfolk from Longwood University on spring break when she went missing.
Weeks after she disappeared, police found a shovel, duct tape and work gloves in the back of his Chevy Astro van. When they analyzed the GPS unit inside the van, they found that it had been behind an abandoned residence about 10 miles south of town. When police visited the location, they found the body of A.J. buried in a ditch.
Wesley Hadsell.Norfolk Sheriff’s Office
Two days later, according to court documents, GPS shows that his van traveled 60 miles from the family home, to the ditch where A.J.’s body would be found a month later.
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Hadsell is no stranger to law enforcement. PEOPLE confirms that he has been convicted at least 10 times for multiple charges, including bank robbery, breaking and entering and burglary.
Shortly after his daughter disappeared, he allegedly broke into the home of a person he believed kidnapped his daughter. He was subsequently charged with four counts of obstructing justice, one count of possessing ammunition after a felony and one count of breaking and entering. Those charges were later dropped.
Shortly after his arrest on the ammunition charges in 2015, Wesley Hadsell gave a jailhouse interview toWTKR. “I swear to you, I didn’t hurt my daughter,” he told the news station. “I don’t know who did. And if I did, I wouldn’t protect them.”
Wesley Hadsell has not yet entered a plea in the latest charges. Court records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf.
source: people.com
