NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — 18-year-old AJ Hadsell vanished while she was home in Norfolk on spring break in March 2015.
Investigators found her body a month later behind an abandoned home nearly 50 miles away.
And now her stepfather, Wesley Hadsell, is facing murder charges in connection to her death.
AJ’s autopsy paperwork was recently released, and through it we’ve learned more about how her body was found.
As 10 On Your Side’s reported before, AJ’s body was discovered at an abandoned house off Smiths Ferry Road in Southampton County.
The autopsy case summary says her body was found concealed, lying face down, under a piece of plywood board at the edge of a muddy creek adjacent to a shed behind that home.
MORE: GPS from Wesley Hadsell’s work van led police to adopted daughter’s body
A medical examiner determined the 18-year-old died as a result of homicidal violence and acute heroin poisoning.
The paperwork says that she didn’t have a drug use history or detectable needle marks.
Autopsy documents say although the death was attributed to heroin poisoning, asphyxia by smothering or strangling could not be ruled out.
Hadsell is expected back in court for a motions hearing May 21.
