In the AJ Hadsell murder, in which stepfather poisoned a college student to death

It was supposed to be a relaxing spring break at home after her freshman year, but the break from school turned into tragedy for Anjelica “AJ” Hadsell, who was kidnapped and poisoned in 2015 by one of her closest confidants.

The 18-year-old girl was missing from her family's home in Norfolk, Virginia, for weeks before police finally found her body in a ditch. She had apparently been intentionally poisoned with a heroin overdose.

Investigators soon turned their attention to her stepfather, Wesley Hadsell, who PEOPLE previously reported had a criminal history, including convictions for bank robbery, burglary and burglary.

The stepfather long maintained his innocence, but an investigation into his involvement ultimately led to a judge finding there was “overwhelming” evidence against him when he was convicted of the gruesome killing of his stepdaughter.

Nine years after the 18-year-old's murder, PEOPLE looks back at the case.

AJ's kidnapping

According to authorities, AJ was a softball player at Longwood University with a bright future.

“She was an athlete. She was very outgoing,” Norfolk police Detective David Benjamin said during an episode of dateline, who investigated the case. “No problems with drugs or alcohol, things were actually going quite smoothly.”

Accordingly, she was going through a breakup when she came home for spring break Datelinewhich led her mother Jennifer Wright to believe her daughter was running out of steam when she went missing after sending a text saying she was “out with friends.”

However, after AJ failed to return home and a longtime friend, Corey French, found part of her credit card on the street, investigators began searching more urgently for the missing teen.

Investigators initially suspected French, who AJ's stepfather had claimed, had become “obsessed” with his stepdaughter Dateline. According to investigators, the stepfather tried to frame French for killing AJ.

Stepfather protests innocence

Wesley Hadsell initially seemed proactive in finding his missing stepdaughter. PEOPLE previously reported that the then-36-year-old man was even arrested for breaking into someone's home, claiming he was suspicious that person had kidnapped AJ.

“I would do anything for my daughter, my wife, my kids, and they make it sound like I'm doing anything to stay out of my trouble,” he said after his arrest on burglary charges, PEOPLE reported on the website Time . “I couldn’t sit for a minute away from where my daughter might have been.”

However, the investigation increasingly focused on him.

The police discover AJ's body – and the murderer is exposed

AJ's body was eventually discovered after police were led to her last known location via her stepfather's GPS system in his car. After investigators discovered that Wesley's car had been tracked to an abandoned house 60 miles from the family home, they discovered AJ's body hidden in a ditch. She had been poisoned with heroin.

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As PEOPLE reported at the time, Wesley's colleagues told police that he was visibly upset and had to take the rest of the day off the day his stepdaughter disappeared. Police searched the stepfather's Chevy Astro van and discovered a shovel, duct tape and work gloves in the back of the car. The man who said he sold drugs to AJ's stepfather also testified in court and said he had sold cocaine and heroin to Wesley for years, according to local news station WAVY.

Wesley was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2022, 13News Now reported.

But the stepfather continues to maintain his innocence and once again denied his involvement during a prison interview with WTKR. “I swear to you, I didn’t hurt my daughter,” he told the outlet. “I don't know who it was. And if I did, I wouldn’t protect her.”