It’s been 38 days since anyone has seen her—March 2, 2015. While on spring break, Longwood student AJ Hadsell vanished from her family’s home, and with only 12 days of class left, the freshman has still yet to be found.
The most bewildering part of AJ’s story is that it’s been over a month, and still, no one knows where she is, where she might be or even if there was foul play involved.
Often times when someone goes missing, especially young people, there are absurd forthcomings that pull in others who know them best. This has been the case for AJ’s absence as well.
First, reports displayed little detail of circumstances, as not many facts were known.
In the initial days, search crews were rampant looking for AJ and Police were out in full force searching by ground, water and even air.
While searching AJ’s neighborhood, a family friend discovered AJ’s credit card cut up, and family members say her phone has been turned off since her disappearance.
Just days after AJ was said to be missing, police received a tip pointing them to Virginia Commonwealth University, almost two hours from her Norfolk home. After questioning people on-campus and searching the premises, nothing was found.
At the week mark, the Hadsell family began offering a $3000 award to anyone with any information regarding the missing girl’s whereabouts.
The family later came forward saying their daughter was “on alert” and scared of a certain person before her disappearance.
“This person supposedly said that he wanted to hang out, and she said she didn’t think it was a good idea,” a family friend who had multiple conversations with AJ told WAVY. “She was more worried that this person would maybe do something, and this person is the person we kind of suspect did something.”
The friend later said the talks with AJ about this individual left her in tears.
Where is AJ?
10 Billboards funded by independent company ‘Adams Outdoor Advertising’ went up March 9 asking, “Have you seen AJ?”
One of the 10 billboards that went up Monday in the Norfolk area funded by Adams Outdoor Advertising.
According to WAVY, just afterwards, police got a tip leading them to Northside Park in Norfolk, but again they found nothing.
Following the search, Norfolk Police Department Spokesman Daniel Hudson told The Rotunda, “We still don’t know the circumstances, and haven’t ruled out any. We are doing everything we can to try and find her.”
As the saga began to unfold, more information from family and friends regarding logistics emerged. In a public interview, AJ’s father Wesley Hadsell reported that AJ had recently borrowed “a couple hundred dollars” from him before disappearing.
Around the same time, a neighbor came forward and admitted she saw AJ driving very quickly away from her home and being followed by a white car days before she vanished.
Police still continued that foul play was not a factor.
Support and social media use
The Hadsell family has used twenty-first century technology and social media to their advantage. The Hadsell’s immediately created a ‘gofundme’ page—the site accepts donations from people who wish to give to a cause.
AJ’s page entitled ‘Bring AJ Home’ has garnered $6200 from 111 people—it has totaled over 1.3 thousand shares. But it has been a week and a half since anyone has donated.
“My daughter, Anjelica "AJ" Hadsell has been missing since Monday, March 2. Her vehicle was at the house and phone is off. Please help us find her,” the page description says.
The family’s highest mode of communication has no doubt been Facebook. The page ‘Facebook.com/bringajhome’ has over 13 thousand likes and is updated daily, usually with pictures of AJ, as well as scarce new information the family would like to pass on.
#BringAJHome is the hashtag promoted by the family and used to link information on social networks. The hashtag has been trending multiple times on Twitter in the Norfolk area.
Longwood’s Role
The university put out a short statement on March 8: “The Longwood University community shares the deep concerns of Anjelica Hadsell’s family and loved ones and we hope she is located safely,” said university Spokesman Matt McWilliams in the release. “As she was reported missing while in her hometown of Norfolk on spring break, Norfolk police are leading the investigation into her whereabouts; our campus police and other staff are assisting with all available resources as needed.”
The school followed up March 10 with an email to students from President W. Taylor Reveley IV, “Freshman student Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell went home to Norfolk over break and then was reported missing there,” said Reveley. “We had hoped she might return to school with the resumption of classes—but the start of classes now is passing by. We remain hopeful.”
Later in the day on March 10 at a Student Government meeting, McWilliams spoke directly about the AJ situation, “We have to remember she is missing from Norfolk, she was on spring break. We have to focus effort on where she is missing.” Thenadded,“The way to help is to raise awareness.”
In a message to the Longwood Board of Visitors preceding their meeting in late March, Reveley commented, “Campus struggles right now with the fact that our student AJ Hadsell continues to be missing. As you know, I travelled to meet personally with Norfolk officials this week—and we all hold out hope.”
There have been no specific events on-campus regarding AJ, or anything in her honor, but the Longwood Student Government Association has passed out ribbons at other events and the club softball team has been selling bracelets to raise funds.
Father Fiasco
Almost three weeks after AJ disappeared, on March 21, her father Wesley Hadsell was arrested on six charges—four obstruction of justice charges, one charge of possessing ammunition following a felony and one charge of breaking and entering.
In an article published by WRIC on March 16, Hadsell was quoted saying, “My daughter is missing and it’s destroying the family, as far as our emotions.”
He added, “It’s not over yet. It’s not going to be over until she’s home.” Incidents he was arrested for stem from March 6 to March 8.
“I couldn’t sit a minute away from where my daughter may have been,” said Hadsell.
He spent just under 20 minutes inside the home ripping through anything and everything trying to scope out any further leads where his daughter might be. He allegedly punched the family’s dog out of anger and said he found evidence while searching through the house furniture.
“I found my daughter’s jacket in his couch rolled up behind the cushion,” Hadsell said.
Hadsell has an intense criminal history. WTKR reported his record started in 2005 when he was indicted on rape, kidnapping and assault and domestic violence charges just after his then separated wife went missing. The charges were later dropped.
Months later in 2006, Hadsell was arrested and sentenced to 4.5 years in jail for a bank robbery in Fredericksburg.
WTKR also confirmed that Hadsell was arrested for several other charges dating back to 1998, including Burglary and Felonious Restraint. When he was 19, Hadsell was convicted of running away with a girl who was his girlfriend at the time.
“When you have an arrest and everybody wants to deal with that and I understand that, but at the same time, you can’t always just focus on one thing,” Hadsell’s sister, Wendy Hadsell-Stokes recently told WTKR. “AJ is still out there somewhere, we have got to find her,” she says.
Hadsell was denied bond based on a request from the prosecuting attorney, and will remain in jail until his April 29 court date.
AJ’s family has recently attempted to deflect coverage of her father’s situation, and get the focus back on her.
Police called on news station
“Please respect our privacy and leave us alone,” said AJ’s mother, Jennifer Busby Hadsell, shouting at Hampton Roads news outlet WTKR from her front porch. “I will call the cops. I am not playing. This is not your situation. Please respect my family.”
The station showed up at Hadsell’s home March 26 after Wesley Hadsell asked outlets to keep the missing teen’s face in the news, five days after his arrest.
“If you guys put my daughter’s picture out there, that’s what matters,” Wesley Hadsell told WTKR from jail.
WTKR said this request is what led them to the property.
AJ’s mother obviously didn’t agree. She declined comment about her missing daughter and did eventually call the cops on the station. WTKR of course did nothing wrong, so nothing came from the call.
The outlook
AJ’s grandmother expressed concern within the past few days that police weren’t doing anything, or enough, to find her granddaughter.
Katherine Hadsell told ABC News she wishes police would "give us more insight into what they're actually doing, because to us it seems like they're doing nothing."
Last Friday Norfolk Police Detectives followed up on a tip, which directed them to route 258 and Joyner’s Bridge Road in Isle of Wight. According to the police, they searched the area and exhausted all leads.
Norfolk police say they are working hard to find AJ, and committing all of their resources to the search.
“We are continuing the search for missing teenager Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell,” Spokesman Daniel Hudson said in an email to The Rotunda. “The investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance is continuing. We have not ruled out any possibilities, and we are pursuing all leads.”
As the investigation goes forward and the days pass, many concluded thoughts of her resurfacing have grown dire, though family, friends and the Longwood community remain hopeful.
There are over 100 total cases of missing girls still unfounded in Virginia.
Police ask anyone who has information about AJ’s whereabouts to call the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
Police ask anyone who has information about AJ’s whereabouts to call the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
It’s not over yet. It’s not going to be over until she’s home.
