FRANKLIN, Va. (WAVY) — The murder trial of Wesley Hadsell continued Monday in Franklin.
Wesley Hadsell is accused of killing his 18-year-old stepdaughter AJ Hadsell back in 2015 when she was home in Norfolk on spring break from Longwood University.
Monday’s testimony started off with Corey French, AJ’s middle school boyfriend. During the initial police investigation, Wesley Hadsell tried to say French was the one actually responsible for killing AJ.
Investigators’ attention focused on French when police found the Longwood club softball jacket that AJ was last seen wearing at French’s house.
Last week, AJ’s friend Andre Barr testified that Wesley Hadsell told him and some of AJ’s other friends that he broke into French’s house to “look for evidence” himself and spotted the jacket. He then told Andre exactly where to find it. Andre found the jacket and went to police.
Prosecutors said Wesley Hadsell planted the jacket to frame French.
In 2015, Wesley Hadsell agreed to a jailhouse interview with WAVY-TV 10. During the interview, he admitted on camera that he broke into Corey French’s house, punched his dog and saw the jacket. On Monday, prosecutors read the transcript of that interview in court.
Corey French fully cooperated with authorities during the investigation, freely giving his DNA and even taking a lie detector test. He also had a solid alibi.
Later in the day on Monday, the court heard from a Norfolk homicide detective on AJ’s case, Joshua Hathaway.
Hathaway said Wesley Hadsell denied planting any evidence. What was strange about his denial, however, was no one asked Wesley Hadsell about planting evidence. He brought it up on his own and denied it.
At one point during the very long interrogation, Hathaway said they left Wesley Hadsell alone in the interrogation room, cameras rolling. Wesley Hadsell at that time said to himself, “I’m screwed.”
As the defense pointed out in opening statements, much of the case against Wesley Hadsell is circumstantial. But the evidence is piling up.
Testimony will continue on Tuesday. The prosecution is expected to rest later this week.
