Norfolk, Va. - For the first time since Anjelica 'AJ' Hadsell`s body was found, her adoptive father Wesley Hadsell spoke exclusively with NewsChannel 3 from behind bars.
Wesley Hadsell believes his own family is setting him up - making it look like he murdered AJ.
"I've been told to remain quiet. I'm speaking to you against my lawyer's wishes. She's going to crucify me for it. I can't be quiet anymore."
We recently learned the 18-year-old died of acute heroin poisoning, but the circumstances surrounding her death are still undetermined.
Wesley has been in jail since March for charges connected to AJ's disappearance, however he has not been charged in her death. He has been accused of obstructing the investigation into the then disappearance of his adopted daughter AJ. He actually admits to doing this.
"All I can say is I meddled in a police investigation, yes ma'am."
So far, no one has been charged with her death.
Prosecutors say Wesley broke into a home on Halprin Drive in Norfolk where a friend of AJs lived. They say while inside the home, he found AJ's softball jacket. This was the detail that Wesley has not been honest about in the past.
He says the reason he went to the home was because he thought he would find clues about AJ's disappearance.
The man who lived there found pieces of AJ's credit card the day before.
"I had only one thing in my heart and that was to go after that kid because I thought he had something to do with my daughter's disappearance."
In court, several witnesses testified that Wesley threatened them not to tell the police that he found the jacket saying if they did, he told them they would "be dealt with."
Hadsell denies making those threats.
Click here for our full coverage of the AJ Hadsell story
Now he says he wants the truth to finally come out.
The interview lasted about two hours, and Wesley's statements and emotions were all over the place.
One minute he seemed angry, the next he was crying.
He wanted to squash the rumors that he had anything to do with with his daughter's death. When NewsChannel 3's Marissa Jasek asked why he only wanted to speak with her, the conversation took a dramatic turn.
"My wife hates you. She hates you. And you will speak the truth," says Hadsell.
The last time we spoke to his wife, Jennifer Hadsell, she screamed at our camera crews to leave.
"And that`s where we stand now. My family is broken. We are a family divided because there is so much information coming out, and there is just a bunch of coincidences. Everything`s a coincidence," says Hadsell.
He brought up several coincidences including where he was the day after A.J. disappeared. He says he was working in Southampton County
That's also where AJ's body was found.
He also named specific people who he thinks is responsible for AJ's disappearance and death.
But a lot of the conversation focused on his drug use - and whether AJ had a drug problem.
Wesley shared new details about AJ's final text messages to him - messages he believes were sent by someone else.
"The text messages from Anjelica were saying that she used heroin two week prior to her disappearance. "
"Wait a minute. What text messages?"
"Oh you don`t know about those then. Anjelica texted us throughout the day of March 2nd after no one physically saw her after 2 pm I guess. Anjelica's phone communicated with my phone and her mother's phone. That`s why in the beginning I said that was not my daughter texting, someone had her phone. I can`t prove that, but that person texted us and came out in little bits and pieces that she had used heroin two weeks prior to her disappearance."
Wesley stood firm in his belief that AJ never had a drug problem - but thinks someone tried to make it look like she did.
He admitted that he was using cocaine when AJ disappeared but he says he never used heroin.
Related:
Medical Examiner: AJ Hadsell died from “Acute Heroin Poisoning”
Grand Jury indicts Wesley Hadsell on 6 felony charges
Norfolk Tides taking action to renovate local Little League park
A.J. Hadsell’s aunt suspects more than one person responsible for missing teen’s death
AJ Hadsell’s mother arrested, accused of buying alcohol for minor
Grammar goof or clues in a crime?
AJ Hadsell’s biological father: ‘I just regret not being part of her life’
