Body found in Southampton County identified as A.J. Hadsell
Published 5:52 pm Friday, April 10, 2015
A Norfolk Police Department officer heads back to the carport of a reportedly vacant home off of Smith’s Ferry Road in Southampton County. A witness alleges to have seen a van pull into the backyard of the residence three or four weeks ago. — Cain Madden | Tidewater News
FRANKLIN
Shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday, Norfolk Police spokeswoman Welinda Wray announced that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner had positively identified the body as that of Anjelica “A.J.” Hadsell. The Longwood University student, who had been missing since March 2, was home on spring break when she disappeared.
“Chief of Police Michael Goldsmith and the dedicated members of the Norfolk Police Department express their deepest sympathies to the Hadsell family and thank the many federal, state, and local agencies that have assisted throughout the course of this investigation,” Wray said in a statement on behalf of the Norfolk Police.
Early Friday morning, authorities returned to the house on Smith’s Ferry Road where human remains were found the day prior. The search for evidence continued throughout the day, with police hoping to find clues that could determine how the person died or lead to an arrest.
Investigators found the remains, which had not yet been identified, during their search for Hadsell, which had led them to Southampton County.
More than 60 personnel from the Norfolk Police Department, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Hampton Police K-9, Virginia Department of Corrections K-9 and Southampton County Sheriff’s Office were on hand since 6 a.m. Friday to conduct line searches around the home, public information officer Sam Shenouda said.
It had been previously reported that the investigation came to Western Tidewater when a neighbor, Brian Potts, called in a suspicious vehicle visiting the property. The Tidewater News has since learned through Detective Camden Cobb of the Southampton Sheriff’s Office that Potts did not see the blue black Dodge Caravan pull into the back yard of the property that had been abandoned for two years, nor did he report the incident to authorities. Cobb said that Potts’ neighbors saw vehicle, but did not report the incident alleged to have occurred three or four weeks ago.
Shenouda was not specific on how the search ended up in Southampton County, claiming that it was a result of their investigative efforts.
Anyone with information that might help detectives with their investigation is asked to call the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, or submit a web tip at norfolkcrimeline.com.
