Who killed Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell and where is he now? Stepfather's whereabouts explored ahead of NBC Dateline episode

Longwood University student Late Anjelica "AJ" Hadsell finally found justice seven years after she was murdered in cold-blood by her own step-father, Wesley Hadless, in 2015. Earlier this year, he was convicted of murdering his 18-year-old step-daughter.

According to reports, AJ mysteriously disappeared in March, 2015, while visiting her parents' house during spring break. It wasn't until five weeks later that her dead body was discovered half buried in an abandoned Southampton County property close to the North Carolina border. The medical examiner confirmed that the teenager died of a heroin overdose and "homicidal violence, with several bruises found across her chest and chin area."

Hadsell was never charged with anything related to the case until 2018.

Friday's Dateline episode titled The Jacket will narrate the story of Anjelica "AJ" Hadsell, who was brutally murdered by her step-father. Andrea Canning will report on June 3, at 10:00 p.m. ET with inside information after interviewing Wesley Hadsell, Detective David Benjamin of Norfolk Police, and two of the victim's friends, Corey French and Andre Barr.

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Who was responsible for Anjelica "AJ" Hadsell's death, and where is he now?

Wesley Hadsell, who had adopted Anjelica as his stepdaughter in 2012, was promptly identified as a suspect in her murder. Police examined the suspect's vehicle as part of a missing persons inquiry and discovered a roll of duct tape, work gloves, and a shovel. Following which, a GPS device led the investigators to a deserted property near the North Carolina border, where the victim's body was found half buried.

The Longwood University freshman had been missing for a month when her body was discovered on the abandoned Southampton County property, where Wesley's car was allegedly parked. The location was approximately 50 miles from her parents' house. After authorities discovered evidence connecting him to the murder, Wesley was criminally charged in 2018. However, just days after the first trial began in 2020, the Commonwealth's attorney petitioned for a mistrial, and the case was dismissed.

When it came to Wesley's criminal past, the attorneys were unable to reach an agreement. The acussed's criminal background included allegations of kidnapping his divorced wife in Ohio and a bank robbery charge in Virginia.

The prosecution stated that Wesley had been evicted from the house he shared with his wife days before Anjelica went missing due to his unpredictable conduct and his suspected dependence on drugs. Wesley allegedly kidnapped the victim from her house with the intention of sexually abusing the 18-year-old. Reportedly, the police discovered heroin and 9mm ammo in Hadsell's room at a nearby hotel. Cadaver dogs detected a stench of human decay there.

In his opening statement, prosecutor Eric Cooke stated:

"It was his last chance to be with AJ. He wanted something. She didn’t."

The defense portrayed Anjelica as a girl who had just broken up with her boyfriend and was dealing with severe depression, suggesting suicide and asserting Wesley's innocence. Following this, Deputy Commonwealth's Toni Colvin told jurors:

"He abused her, he beat her, and then he poisoned her with heroin."

While making an appeal, the accused told Judge L. Wayne Farmer that,

"I have been wrongfully convicted of these crimes, but this fight is not over."

Farmer responded by saying,

"To blame her — it’s offensive. You took a beautiful life and dumped it like trash."

Earlier this year, a jury found 44-year-old Wesley Hadsell guilty of first-degree murder of his step-daughter and concealment of the body afterwards. He was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 15 years.

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Canning will be reporting on Anjelica "AJ" Hadsell's murder case this Friday, June 3, exclusively on NBC's Dateline.