Casefile True Crime - Case 275: Michelle Hadley

Episode Date: March 9, 2024

*** Content warnings: Sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking *** When Angela Connell met Ian Diaz, the pair began a whirlwind romance that quickly led to marriage and a growing family. But their newfound happiness was soon disturbed by a cyberstalking campaign with real world consequences. Angela and Ian told detectives from the Anaheim Police Department that they knew exactly who was behind the scheme: Ian’s ex-girlfriend, Michelle Hadley. But all was not as it seemed… --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Erin Munro & Eileen Ormsby Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-275-michelle-hadley

47 years ago, on a warm summer's night in Melbourne, Susan Bartlett and Suzanne Armstrong were stabbed to death in their home in Easy Street, Collingwood. Suzanne's 16-month-old son was asleep in his cot at the time. To this day, the Easy Street murders is still one of Australia's most confronting cold cases. No one has ever been charged, and critical questions remain unanswered. Journalist Helen Thomas has been investigating Susan and Suzanne's deaths for more than a decade, initially for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's background briefing program,

and then for her book, Murder on Easy Street. Now Helen has delved into the case again for a brand new original podcast made for Case File Presents. Search Case File Presents the Easy Street Murders wherever you get your podcasts, or binge the entire series for free on the iHeartRadio app. Stay tuned to the end of today's episode to hear the trailer. Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support and for a more detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Craig's List is an American website offering a wide range of classified advertisements. There are categories dedicated to everything from jobs to services for hire and everything

in between. Formerly launched in 1996, the site has expanded to over 70 countries and is considered the leading classified service in any medium, with an estimated value of more than a billion dollars. Each month, 200 million postings are made to Craigslist, which draw over 20 billion page views, making it one of the most popular websites in the world. More than 90% of its traffic comes from the United States, where individual states and cities are given their own dedicated portals to allow users to narrow their interactions to specific areas. Towards the middle of 2016, an advertisement was placed on the Californian Craigslist site,

targeting individuals in Orange County, a region 35 miles southeast of Metropolitan, Los Angeles. It appeared under the Personals section within a subcategory titled Casual Encounters, a space for individuals seeking no strings attached hookups. The ad featured the heading Rape Fantasy and was accompanied by an image of a partially clothed woman being violently restrained by a man. Its text read, I am looking for women who have fantasies about being raped slash forced to perform. I've done this before with a couple of ex-girlfriends and found it very intense and exciting.

We would agree on the limits before meeting and we could meet at a safe location like a hotel." The advertiser assured potential partners that he was, quote, a sane, clean-cut professional. On Monday, June 13, 2016, he received a response from a female user who wrote, I have been dying to have a rape fantasy occur, watched while walking my dog, following me to the door, and forcing me into my condo. I am a 30, tall, gorgeous, and ready. I have a Yorkie I walk every night, say 8pm. If you are free tonight, come find

me. Force me into my house and take me down." The responder provided her address, a condominium the city of Anaheim. Ian Diaz took his work as a United States Deputy Marshal seriously, often wearing his uniform even when he wasn't on duty. His identity revolved around his job, with the majority of his friends also working in law enforcement. But despite his dedication to his career, he was eager to find fulfillment outside of work as well. When he found himself newly single at the age of 38, he did what so many singles do in the 21st century. He turned to the internet. While browsing an online dating site, Ian connected with a 30-year-old woman named Angela Connell.

After chatting for a little bit, the pair decided to meet in person. They had their first date on Saturday, January 2, 2016. The beginning of a new year seemed like an auspicious time to embark on a new relationship. Ian found Angela to be sweet, charming and caring. She had a wide smile, dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Ian's attraction to Angela was reciprocated and the pair began a whirlwind romance. Within the same month of meeting, Ian proposed marriage on Friday, January 29, and Angela accepted. Two weeks after they became engaged, the couple travelled to Boise, Idaho to visit Angela's parents.

During the trip, Angela announced to her fiance and her family that she was pregnant. With the couple now expecting a child together, they decided to fast-track their relationship even further. When they got back to California, Angela would move into Ian's condo. On the afternoon of Friday, February 19, Ian returned home to discover that Angela had moved herself in while he was at work. The pair chatted about the pregnancy into Angela's lack of health insurance, deciding they should marry as soon as possible so Angela could access Ian's government health benefits.

Three days later, they tied the knot in a quiet courthouse ceremony. Everything appeared to be on track for their new life together. Weeks later in April, tragedy struck when Angela suffered a miscarriage. The couple decided to try for another baby straight away, and by the following month, Angela was pregnant again, this time with twins. What should have been a happy and exciting time was disturbed in late May when the newly wedded Angela Diaz began receiving some troubling emails. The messages were sent from a number of different email addresses attributed to the name Lilith. A figure associated with the Jewish mythology, Lilith is considered to be a dangerous and

a moral temptress who steals babies in the night. One of the emails to Angela read, There are legends that Adam had a wife before Eve who was named Lilith, but this is not found in the Bible. The legends vary significantly, but they all essentially agree that Lilith left Adam because she did not want to submit to him. According to the legends, Lilith was an evil, wicked woman who committed adultery with Satan and produced a race of evil creatures.

I hope you are scared of death tomorrow. Be prepared. Don't sleep. Be watchful of the daughters of God. We will steal your child and we will watch as it dies. He is using you for everything. Don't you see this? He is obsessed with me. I am his treasure, princess. You are nothing. Watch your back tomorrow." Another email sent from LilithIsTruth at Outlook.com read, You will lose your baby and it will be done by the will of God. God's vengeance will rise up. Angela also received messages via her LinkedIn profile, an employment-orientated website used for professional networking. The messages were from someone named Jason Ray, who wrote in all capital letters. Michelle was his one true and honoured first love.

You are nothing to him. When Ian saw the messages, he immediately recognised the language used in them, and knew who the Michelle referred to was. Ian hadn't told Angela this when they first met, but he was embroiled in an ongoing legal dispute with his ex-partner, a woman named Michelle Hadley. The pair had met two and a half years earlier in October 2013 and had gotten engaged one year later. In May 2015, they purchased a two bedroom dual story condo in a brand new development

on South Anaheim Boulevard. This was less than a mile from Anaheim City Centre and close to Disneyland where Michelle worked. The condo cost $468,500 and Michelle paid a $14,400 deposit up front. Ian planned to gradually reimburse her when he could and the couple would share the mortgage repayments. By the time the couple moved into the condo one month later, their relationship was in sharp decline. Fights were commonplace and escalated at an alarming rate. Ian recalled how at one stage, Michelle had yelled at him, I hate you, I hate this house, and if it were up to me, I'd burn this motherfucker down.

After living with Michelle for a little over a month, Ian told his friends that he could no longer deal with her emotional instability. He reclaimed the engagement ring he'd given her, and in August 2015, she moved out. As Michelle was still obliged to pay her share of the mortgage while Ian remained in their condo, the property became a source of contention. Within days of leaving, Michelle began bombarding Ian with emails, wanting to know what was going to happen with the condo and requesting he pay her back. Her messages weren't always hostile. Sometimes her demands for resolution were interspersed with words of

gratitude, such as when she thanked Eon for sorting out her car insurance. But soon the emails took a turn. Michelle started referencing the Bible and using grim religious imagery to threaten Eon. In one, she wrote, Your sins are many, including defiling me and my family with your wicked and evil sexual acts, your financial coercion and irresponsibility, your gluttony, your greed, your lust, your sloth, your wrath, your envy, and most of all, your pride. I will bring the full force of the law and the word of God against you to judge you." To this, Ian replied, I am not sure how God or the Bible has any relevance to the condo and mortgage. In an email with the subject line, Gone Girl, Michelle wrote, in an email with the subject line, GONG GIRL, Michelle wrote, You know exactly how God, the Word of God, the Spirit of God are involved with the condo.

We both do. Your end will come and you will relinquish the keys to the earth. Earth is mine and the title deed to earth belongs to me. There will be no resolution outside of court unless you are willing to bow before the Lord your God. If you are not, then prepare yourself Satan. So let it be written. So let it be done." In another email, she stated, Please explain to your real estate attorney that God's law is above all laws. Prepare yourself and prepare your armies.

In the weeks that followed, Michelle's emails continued to intensify. As a precaution, Ian shared them with his friends and colleagues in law enforcement. He then emailed Michelle with a warning, quote, The Anaheim Police Department in conjunction with the United States Martial Service are fully aware of you, your issues with me, and have copies of every email we have exchanged since you left. Michelle kept contacting Ian regardless. In September 2015, he began the process of taking out a restraining order against her. In his petition, Ian wrote, I work as a US Marshal and after showing my supervisor the threatening emails, he recommended that I seek a domestic violence restraining order. Michelle has told me that I must comply with her demands or be prepared for God's

vengeance and refer to me as Satan and the Antichrist. Because of her emotional instability, history of fits of rage and self-medication with alcohol, I fear for my safety. Ian included examples of Michelle's behaviour that had made him feel unsafe. One was a February 2014 incident in which an irate Michelle had screamed at him. I wish you could be a better man sexually. Ian said he told her to go online to find someone else. A week later, Michelle revealed she had been unfaithful and blamed Ian for making her cheat. Another time, she allegedly grabbed their puppy by the neck and yelled, Don't make me hurt

you. Ian admitted to sometimes being so afraid of Michelle that he had his mother stay with him at the condo. Three weeks after it was filed, the petition was dismissed, but tensions between the two seemed to have settled. Both Ian and Michelle retained property attorneys instead of trying to sort out the condo themselves and were able to find a compromise. On November 24, 2015, Ian agreed to pay Michelle $3,000 in exchange for remaining in the condo for six months while he sorted out his finances.

His goal was to take over the mortgage entirely by June 5, 2016. If he failed to do so in that timeframe, he would sell the condo and split any profits with Michelle. Just over a month after reaching this agreement, Ian met Angela Connell and initially neglected to tell her about the situation. While the two threw themselves into their new life together, the deadline for Ian to take over the mortgage grew closer. But Ian was having trouble finalizing arrangements with his bank.

By May 2016, Angela was pregnant with twins and there was only one month until Ian was due to assume the mortgage in full. That's when Michelle began contacting him again. Ian informed Michelle that he was married with two children on the way. She threatened to sue if he was unable to uphold his end of the agreement. On May 22, Michelle wrote, You told me I was your first love, but you did not treat me like the precious, perfect treasure I am. You have sinned against God, and I want my power back, because it belongs to the daughters of God." A few days later, Angela began receiving messages with similar biblical references and a grim

religious tone. Given that Michelle seemed like the obvious sander. On May 26, 2016, Angela responded to the LinkedIn message she'd received from Jason Ray, writing, Michelle Hadley, I want you to please stop emailing me. The emails continued and became increasingly violent. Over the next few days, Angela received messages that said, I hope you are scared to death tomorrow. Be prepared. Don't sleep. We will steal your child and we will watch as it dies. You deserve nothing but a life of lonely torture. You are a piece of shit and I hope to God you burned for what you have done to us."

On June 1, 2016, when Angela received an email that read, You might be beautiful. You might be the one he married, but you are still a sinner and must be punished. I will make sure you are reminded of your place by force." Following this, Angela and Ian went to the Anaheim Police Department to apply for a restraining order against Michelle Hadley. In her petition, Angela included a collection of the threatening messages and wrote, "'Ms. Hadley has been emailing me for over one week, repeatedly threatening my life, my marriage, my safety, and slandering my husband.

Ms. Hadley has used over six different email addresses to contact me, despite a request to cease communication. I am now fearful of leaving my home, have had to delete my online presence, and am incredibly emotionally distressed. I am fearful of being raped, attacked, killed. I have had to completely uproot my life, including missing work at a new job to quash this issue. The tone and tenor of these emails escalates and there seems no sign of stopping. A court hearing was scheduled and Angela was granted a temporary restraining order against

Michelle. The next day she received an email in which the sender claimed to have been watching her leave her workplace. Let's play a game, they exclaimed. Another message dated June 6 warned, �You will pay for this. I hope to God you are ready for the pain I will show you. Burn in the fiery pits of hell tonight, as by God�s law, you will be hurt.� Angela made another report to the police, who filed official reports against Michelle Hadley for stalking, criminal threats, and violating a protective order.

Meanwhile, Ian's application to assume the mortgage for the Anaheim condo was denied. As per the terms of their agreement, this meant he'd have to sell the property and split the proceeds with Michelle. A week later, a stranger arrived at Ian's condo claiming he was there to have consensual rough sex with Angela. He explained that he'd posted an advertisement on Craigslist seeking a rape fantasy partner, and someone named Lilith Hadley had replied with this address. The man left without incident, after which Ian and Angela filed a report with the Anaheim Police Department. Detective Michael Cooner took the lead on the case and filed an attempted forcible rape complaint against Michelle Hadley. Over the following week, several other men contacted Angela, all believing that they were going to take part in a consensual rape fantasy. One individual had even planned

to travel by plane to meet up with Angela, only to be intercepted by Detective Kuna. Another contacted A&D as directly to apologize for the misunderstanding, adding that the person who had responded to his Craigslist ad had also sent him photos of Angela. When the Diazers saw the photographs, Angela recognized them as having come from her Instagram account. Ian was furious. While he was responsible for investigating threats against judges and prosecutors as part of his role as a deputy United States Marshal, he told detectives that he'd never seen anything like this.

He complained about the lack of action taken against Michelle Hadley, adding, �She needs to be in fucking cuffs and in a padded room.� Ian told investigators his ex was hiding out at her parents' home and urged them to arrest her immediately. On Friday June 24, 2016, police were dispatched to the Dears' condominium after receiving a 911 call. In an alley that provided access to the building's garage, they found Angela Diaz in hysterics. Her shirt was torn and she had bruises to her right temple, as well as

red marks on the left side of her neck and above her left breast. She told the officers that she'd been in the garage when a man jumped out and dragged her to the ground. He attempted to rape her, but fled when she screamed for help. Angela had little doubt the attack was related to the Fraudulent Craigslist advertisements. She told the officers the name of the person she believed was behind the ads. Michelle Hadley That evening, Detective Michael Cooner and two plainclothes officers arrived at Michelle's parents' house and presented Michelle with a search warrant for her electronic devices.

She handed over her mobile phone, laptop and iPad, along with the passcodes to access them. Detective Kuna checked Michelle's phone and saw she had an email from Craigslist. It asked her to confirm an advertisement she delisted in the casual encounters section titled Rape Fantasy. Michelle Hadley was taken into custody. She was charged with violating her restraining order with bail set at $100,000. Her parents, who earned a small manufacturing business, scraped together enough money to secure her release for the following morning of Saturday, June 25. An hour later, Angela Diaz started receiving emails again.

Some included disturbing images of women being beaten, strangled, groped by masked men, or murdered. One featured pictures of aborted fetuses and warned Angela not to expect her babies to be born. In another, the sender demanded that Angela contact them. The phone number and email address they provided belonged to Michelle Hadley's parents. Over on Craig's list, the rape fantasy advertisements also resumed. In an effort to confirm who was making the posts, Detective Kuna started responding to them. He contacted users who were soliciting partners for such acts and warned them to ignore anyone who responded with the Diaz's address.

In an effort to help, Ian Diaz also replied to the ads, but Detective Kuna felt this was an unwanted interference that could do more harm than good. On Monday, July 11, 2016, two weeks after Michelle's release from custody, another rape fantasy ad was posted. Responders were once again directed to the Diaz's condo. Two days later, Angela contacted the police to report a man lurking outside her home. Responding officers found a 17-year-old male in the condo's courtyard. He claimed he was there regarding a craigslist ad for a no-strings-attached hookup. At midday the following day, four police officers arrived at Michelle Hadley's parents' place of business. Detective Cooner announced that he had electronic evidence that Michelle's verified email account

was being used to send harassing emails. He then arrested Michelle for attempted rape. She was charged with stalking, assault with intent to rape in commission of a burglary, six counts of attempted rape, and criminal threats with intent to terrorize. If convicted, she faced a maximum sentence of life in prison. This time her bail was set at $1 million, unable to secure the funds, Michelle would remain in custody pending trial. The Orange County District Attorney issued a press release detailing the circumstances surrounding the bizarre case, which quickly attracted media attention.

Journalists started camping outside of Michelle's parents' home. They depicted the crime as a catfight and deadly love triangle, in which an obsessed stalker campaigned to destroy the lives of her former fiance and his pregnant wife. Michelle Hadley's crimes were called depraved and earned her the number nine spot on the OC Weekly Newspapers list of Orange County's 31 scariest People of 2016. Notably, the stalking and harassment of Angela Diaz stopped the moment Michelle was taken into custody. An Orange County Deputy District Attorney described the crime as an example of the dangers of social media and expressed his confidence in the case against Michelle Hadley."

The police did a thorough investigation. With what was presented to us, we have enough evidence to prove this case to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Case Michael and Suzanne Hadley visited their daughter on her first day behind bars, unable to believe the predicament she was in. This was not the Michelle they knew. A self-confessed Goodie Tushu's, Michelle Hadley had grown up in the Californian city of

Ontario with her parents and younger sister. She had been a good student, participating in her high school's cross-country running team and earning a scholarship to Dickinson College. She graduated from the university a few years later with a bachelor's degree in medieval studies. with a bachelor's degree in medieval studies. At age 22, Michelle married her high school sweetheart and worked various jobs before securing a position as a marketing executive for an insurance management company. Her marriage was short-lived and following her divorce, 26-year-old Michelle signed up for online dating. In 2013 she connected with 35-year-old Ian Diaz and the pair met in person for the first time at a Starbucks coffee shop in August of that year. The relationship moved quickly.

On their second date, Ian professed his love and gifted Michelle a down payment for an annual pass to his favorite place on earth, Disneyland, California. At Ian's suggestion, Michelle later quit her marketing job and accepted a position at the Faint Resort, working as an associate program manager. In December 2014, just over a year into their relationship, Ian surprised Michelle with a romantic trip to New York for her 28th birthday. As the couple stood atop the famous Rockefeller Center, Ian proposed with a large diamond

ring. Michelle said yes and the pair planned to tie the knot in February 2016. In the months that followed, Michelle and Ian bought a Yorkshire terrier puppy they named Chewy and began looking for their first home together. In May 2015, they purchased the condo that would later be the cause of so much angst. After their relationship broke down and the legal battle over the property began, Michelle began emailing Ian constantly in an attempt to resolve the matter. But although she admitted to sending her ex some angry emails peppered with religious

imagery, she was adamant that she had never reached out to his new partner. Michelle's parents believed her. They were certain that Michelle was being framed and were willing to do anything within their means to prove her innocence. As they couldn't afford to pay both her bail and the legal fees required to hire an attorney, Michelle opted to remain in prison so her family could pool all their funds towards finding her the best lawyer possible. They eventually settled on Orange County criminal defense attorney Michael Justy. Michael Justy prided himself on thinking objectively

on his client's behalf, taking the time to understand where they came from and giving them the fair chance they deserved. He often told his clients, You should not give up on yourself because we will not give up on you, and we will stand right by your side until we get you off your trouble. Let's work it out. The Hadleys reached out to Michael Juy and he agreed to meet with Michelle to discuss her case.

She told him her version of events, and he was surprised to find the woman portrayed as crazed and vengeful in the press was in fact a gentle and private person. Justy described Michelle as a wide-eyed and bubbly young woman with a lust for life. A self-confessed super-nerd, she had a straightforward personality that reflected her conservative and modest upbringing. Prior to this arrest, she had never been in trouble with the law. Michelle said that when she had reached out to Ian in May 2016 to notify him of her intention to sue if he failed to assume their mortgage by the arranged deadline, she had been in a state

of high stress. In the wake of their breakup, her mental health deteriorated to the point that she began self-medicating with alcohol. Two days after she sent this email to Ian, she began receiving some online messages encouraging her to reach out to Ian's new wife. Michelle had never met Angela Diaz, but she'd noticed her name on some of Ian's financial paperwork, prompting her to realize he'd moved on. Michelle also received several notifications from Google informing her that various Gmail accounts were attempting to forward their emails to her account. When Michelle emailed these Gmail accounts asking who they belonged to, she received

an automated response saying they'd been shut down. Scared by these developments, Michelle moved back in with her parents, gave up her job to work for the family business, and dropped out of the Masters of Business Administration course she was taking. On Wednesday June 1, 2016, Michelle was shocked when officers visited her parents' home to announce that Angela Diaz had filed a restraining order against her. Michelle had no idea what was happening. She'd only recently learned of Angela's existence and had never seen her nor had any

contact with her. Shortly after, Michelle learned that Ian's application to assume the mortgage on the condo was denied. Under the agreement, this should have triggered the sale of the apartment, with any proceeds being split between the two of them. Three days later, Michelle was served with a physical copy of a temporary restraining order against Angela Diaz. There was no evidence or allegations attached, so she had no idea what the order was in relation

to. Later that day, she received an email from an unfamiliar address purporting to be from Ian, urging Michelle to visit their condo. Suspecting it was a trap to make her violate the restraining order, Michelle didn't respond. That evening, a detective phoned Michelle to inform her that Ian's new wife was receiving threatening messages from an email address that allegedly belonged to Michelle. In turn, Michelle reported the suspicious emails sent baseless restraining order. Suspecting she was being framed, she requested that the email IP addresses be traced, in the hopes it could identify the computer they'd been sent from. She was told another detective would be

assigned to investigate the matter. After repeatedly calling the Anaheim Police Department, Michelle was eventually told that her case had been passed on to a detective named Michael Lee. Over the following week, she left detective Lee three detailed voice mails, expressing her fear that she was being set up to violate her restraining order and that the situation would escalate. She continued to receive notifications that various email addresses were being fraudulently linked to her personal account and reported six of them to software company Microsoft.

On Wednesday, June 15, having received no assistance from the local police, Michelle filed a complaint referral identify where the emails are coming from, and if possible, who is creating them." When she didn't hear back from the FBI, Michelle emailed the Department of Justice, asking how she could file a formal complaint against Ian. The next day, she sent a follow-up email in which she added, quote, I cannot repeat enough how urgent and serious this matter is. She received an automated response thanking her for her message, but nothing more.

On Friday, June 17, Michelle attended court for her restraining order hearing. Ian was there, along with the supportive crowd of friends and family who heckled Michelle as she waited for proceedings to begin. Angela Diaz was also present, leading to Michelle's first-ever meeting with her. Angela approached Michelle and thrust a stack of papers at her while saying, here you go. The papers contained excerpts of emails that featured violent threats and disturbing imagery. After the hearing, Michelle sent a follow-up email to Microsoft, urging them to trace the IP addresses of whoever was trying to link their accounts

to hers. She described the matter as a somewhat urgent situation. A few days later, she received a notification from Craigslist asking her to verify an advertisement attributed to her email account titled, Gang Rape Fantasy. Craigslist didn't have a telephone number she could call, so Michelle reported the fake ad to abuse at craigslist.org. At 11.45pm on Friday, June 24, 2016, Michelle was returning to her parents' house after a date when an unmarked car pulled up.

Three men in plain clothes emerged. They identified themselves as police officers. Among them was Detective Michael Lee, who was overseeing her case, as well as Detective Michael Cooner, who was assisting Ian and Angela Diaz. They asked to see her electronic devices. Michelle handed over her mobile phone, laptop and iPad, thinking they were following up on her reports. She also showed the detectives the spoofed emails linked to her account. The detectives informed Michelle that someone had broken into the Diaz's condo

with the intention of raping Angela. As the detectives looked through her emails and fired questions at her, it slowly dawned on Michelle that she was being treated as a suspect. Detective Kuna focused on emails from IanRDiaz at gmail.com and one from Craigslist verifying the gang rape fantasy advertisement. Michelle insisted she had no idea what the Craigslist ad related to and explained that she hadn't sent but received the emails from Ian Rds.gmail.com. In an attempt to prove that she too was a victim, Michelle told them about the emails she had sent to the FBI, the Department of Justice, Microsoft, and Craigslist.

She also mentioned the three voicemails she had left detective Lee over the last week, none of which he'd responded to. Detective Cooner asked Michelle what Detective Lee's phone extension was to prove she'd been contacting him. When she gave the correct number, Detective Lee assumed a sheepish expression and said, Well, looks like I'm in trouble again tonight. Michelle was arrested and charged with five felonies and a misdemeanor. She was released the next morning after her parents secured her bail. Over the next few weeks, Michelle rarely left her parents' house except to work at their

business. She didn't want to be left alone and ceased going online as all her electronic devices were still in the possession of the Anaheim Police Department. Then, on Thursday, July 14, 2016, several police cars pulled up outside the Hadley's business and four detectives entered. Detective Cooner told Michelle he had evidence that emails were still being sent from her Gmail account. Her father said that it was impossible, as Michelle didn't have any of her personal electronics in her possession.

If she wanted to log into her emails from a completely new device, Gmail's two-factor authentication required her to have access to her cell phone. Undeterred, the detectives arrested Michelle for attempted rape, and she was held in custody at Orange County Central Women's Jail pending trial. Jail was a terrifying experience for Michelle. She underwent invasive cavity searches, her eyesight was compromised when her contact lens solution was confiscated, and her requests for feminine hygiene products went ignored. As she was accused of sex crimes, Michelle was assigned to the Jail's high security unit and labelled an R3 offender,

informally known as a Romeo. Many Romeo's were accused of child sexual abuse and were known to be the most dangerous inmates in the system. Several prisoners had read articles about Michelle's alleged crimes and harassed her for masterminding such a desperate scheme. One night, someone slipped a note with a death threat scored on it under her cell door. Michelle's fellow inmates accused her of being an informant, slamming her cell wall and calling her a snitch.

She lived in fear of being attacked and tried to feign confidence to mask her meek nature. Romeo's were only allowed out of their cell for an hour a day, plus another for weekend visitors. During her daily hour of free time, Michelle was subjected to constant mistreatment and abuse. The other inmates ensured she was the last to take a shower and use the phones. She was stuck with the least desirable chores, such as cleaning the toilets. Michelle retreated into isolation, unable to eat or sleep. The number of her jail cell was leaked to the neighbouring men's prison, most likely by a guard. This prompted an influx of harassing, threatening and sexually graphic letters from male prisoners.

Feeling hopeless, Michelle took comfort writing to her family. In each letter home, she tried to list one positive thing about her life and one thing she was looking forward to upon her release, including having a good cup of coffee. Meanwhile, Michelle's parents worked tirelessly with her attorney to prove she was being framed. They hoped that the IP addresses attached to the key emails would help exonerate their daughter by identifying the locations where the messages were sent from. Obtaining this information from Google and Microsoft was a long drawn out process, further complicated by the fact that some emails had been sent using a virtual private network or VPN. VPNs are able to disguise the user's address and location,

making them nearly impossible to trace. Undeterred, Michelle's parents gathered the emails that had been entered into evidence and painstakingly drew up a spreadsheet of the times and dates that each one was sent. They made a breakthrough when they were able to determine without a doubt that their daughter was sitting in a university class without a phone or computer when one was sent. Armed with this new information, defense attorney Michael Justy presented Michelle's case to the district attorney's office, who determined there were enough inconsistencies for the detectives to revisit their investigation. Soon, the defense team uncovered more and more evidence

that seemed to point towards Michelle's innocence. For example, on the date Michelle was released on bail following her initial arrest for violating her restraining order, a threatening email was sent to Angela Diaz at 11.28 am. At this exact time, Michelle was sitting on the steps of the police station waiting for her parents to pick her up. She had no electronic devices on her at the time, as they had all been confiscated by the police. The IP addresses of the devices used to send threatening emails to Angela were eventually obtained. Some had

been sent from inside the Diaz's condo. Others had come from Angela Diaz's cell phone and a device located at her father's home in Phoenix, Arizona. Michelle had been convinced that Ian was using his new wife in an attempt to frame her. But now, it appeared as though the person behind the scheme the entire time was Angela. Investigators reviewed CCTV footage taken from the alley behind the Diaz's condo on the day Angela claimed the alleged rape had occurred. No suspicious activity was captured. Angela's injuries were also considered relatively minor, leading the defence team to believe

they could have been self-inflicted or caused by an accomplice. But before they were able to present this latest evidence to the court, something entirely unexpected happened. On Saturday, September 24, Ian Diaz approached the Anaheim police and informed them that he now believed his wife had framed Michelle. Ian said he'd started to suspect Angela in August after he received an email from one of the threatening accounts at a time Michelle was in jail. Ian further revealed that he was seeking to have his marriage annulled, claiming that Angela had been, quote, lying at the pathological level. Among other things, she'd told him her car was at the

mechanics for repairs when, in reality, it had been repossessed. Angela had also told Ayan she worked at a courthouse. He discovered she'd made this up too, even going so far as to fabricate payslips and invent colleagues to maintain her deception. Angela had credit cards and bank statements issued in the name of Daniel Clark. She told Ian that Daniel Clark, not his real name, was a friend whom she sometimes received mail for. Earlier that month, Ian had discovered a Facebook message in a filtered spam folder that was sent seven months earlier in February, around the same time Angela moved into his condo. It was from Daniel's sister, claiming that Angela was in a long-term relationship with Daniel,

and they had just found out she was cheating on him with Ian. Given the dates, Ian realised that Daniel could have been the real father of Angela's first pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage. As for her second pregnancy, in which Angela had supposedly been carrying twins, Ian told police he'd recently found some sonogram photographs on Google that were identical to Angela's scans. These pictures were available to purchase for $7.50 on the e-commerce website Etsy. Such photos were typically sold as a prank, with buyers able to customize them with names, dates, and the hospital where the fraudulent scan took place.

Ian had confronted Angela with the images, which he now believed to be fake, but she'd insisted hers were real. The following morning, Ian looked under the bathroom sink and found a box containing some used pregnancy tests as well as some pens. He examined the tests closely and realised they'd been visibly marked with the pens to indicate a positive result. If Angela was capable of faking a pregnancy, it seemed highly likely to Ian that she could also stage being the victim of cyber-stalking. To prove he wasn't involved in Angela's scheme against Michelle, Ian provided detailed time sheets of his work hours, which showed he wasn't at home when the threatening emails were sent from his condo. Faced with this evidence, investigators realised that Angela Diaz had in fact framed Michelle

Hadley by masterminding her own ordeal, including the attempted rape. By Thursday, October 6, 2016, Michelle Hadley had been in custody for 88 days. The deputy prosecutor assigned to her case visited her prison cell, shook her hand, and said, I'm very sorry. She was free to go, though she still had to wear an ankle monitor as she hadn't technically been cleared of any charges. Michelle returned to her parents' home and was confronted with a new series of difficulties. While she was in jail, she defaulted on bills and student loans.

As a result, her credit had been destroyed, she decreed substantial debts, and she lost the scholarship money she'd been receiving for her studies. The media were not yet aware that Angela Diaz was the prime suspect in her own assault, meaning a simple Google search of Michelle's name continued to label her a crazy and diabolical stalker. She therefore couldn't return to university or apply for jobs or housing. With her reputation ruined, Michelle's post-traumatic stress disorder returned. Fed up, Michelle gave prosecutors an ultimatum. Publicly clear her name or she would tell the media about the way law enforcement had mishandled her case. Following the breakdown of her relationship with Ian, Angela Diaz had

returned to Phoenix, Arizona. On Friday, January 6, 2017, police there placed the 31-year-old under arrest. Angela was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, perjury, bordery, grand theft, and falsely reporting crimes. According to one source, Angela seems unconcerned. She apparently laughed when the district attorney read aloud from one of her previous statements in which she said that Michelle Hadley ruined her life and should have to register as a sex offender. Three days later, Michelle Hadley ruined her life and should have to register as a sex offender. Three days later, Michelle Hadley was fully exonerated. After a judge concluded the hearing by telling Michelle she was free to go, Michelle wept, smiled, and embraced her family.

Outside court, she told the media, This has been a huge nightmare for me. I'm glad it's finally over and I can move on. Orange County's District Attorney told the press, This is a complex and detailed case and I won't be able to share all of the details now. I want to make sure, however, that Ms Hadley is cleared in every possible way, in the courtroom and the court of public opinion. It needs to be made clear in the media and in cyberspace, Ms Hadley is the innocent victim of a diabolical scheme. The DA admitted that they still weren't sure what motivated Angela Diaz, but guessed that

it might have been revenge. Quote, you have a love triangle, maybe a desire to put the dagger into the older relationship, but all that's just speculation at this time. The district attorney's office accepted that they had been duped, claiming that Angela Diaz had given the appearance of an upper middle-class professional when, in reality, she was a serial con artist. A spokesperson for the city of Anaheim said, Our heart goes out to Michelle. This was an incredibly cruel and complex scheme, the extent of which required us to act in accordance with our duty under the law. The work of our detectives is what ultimately

went on to unravel this unthinkable plot and prove that Michelle was actually the innocent, true victim in this case. Angela Diaz's preliminary hearing commenced in August 2017. If the case proceeded to trial, she was looking at 12 years and 8 months in a state prison, plus 11 years in a county jail. Less time than the life sentence Michelle Hadley had faced for her charges. Angela entered the court wearing her dark blue prison uniform and appeared composed as she entered a plea of not guilty. Her relaxed demeanor remained throughout the hearing, with Angela even breaking into a cheerful smile on occasion. Her upbeat mood seemed at odds with the prosecution's claims that Angela had an extensive history of lies and fraud. There were the fake pregnancies, her embellished work history,

infidelities and forgeries. Additionally, some of the threatening LinkedIn messages that Angela had sent to herself were from an account in the name of Jason Ray. Some digging had uncovered that prior to meeting Ian Diaz, Angela had dated a state highway patrol officer named Jason Rayburn. It was suspected that she was adopting his identity to send these messages. As reported in The Daily Beast, Angela and Jason had met at a pub. Angela falsely told Jason that she was an attorney and they connected over their linked careers in law enforcement. They started dating and shortly after, Angela told Jason that she'd just been diagnosed with cervical cancer. He invited her to move in with him and

rearranged his house to be more accommodating for someone exhausted and sick from chemotherapy treatments. This was no easy task. Jason had a son with special needs and the upending of the household was disruptive to him. While Angela underwent treatment, she lost her hair and sent Jason photos from the hospital. But her hair grew back quickly, and she never exhibited any of the extreme side effects that are common for individuals undergoing chemotherapy. Angela also began drinking heavily, which struck Jason as odd for someone trying to beat cancer. He began to suspect that she wasn't sick at all.

One day he asked a friend to watch the house to see if Angela left for her hospital appointment. She never emerged. Jason and his friends began googling phrases such as cervical cancer and chemotherapy. Among the images that came up were the same photos Angela had sent of her treatments. It was obvious that she'd simply saved them from the internet. Jason and some friends staged an intervention to confront Angela with what they knew. It turned out that while presenting one front to Jason, Angela had been telling others that he was abusive towards her. Their eight-month relationship came to an abrupt end, and she left his life as quickly as she'd entered it.

The intervention had been filmed, and a video of it was shown to the court as part of the Michelle Hadley case to establish Angela's history of scamming. The prosecution also presented forged doctor's notes and employment checks, as well as evidence that Angela had impersonated two of A&D as's ex-girlfriends over email. Additionally, her computer was found to contain a document titled, A Darkness Within, The Angela Diaz Story. It was a pitch about the Michelle Hadley case which she'd hoped to send to the Lifetime TV network. Another document revealed a second pitch with a similar name, Daughters of God, the Angela

Diaz story. It appeared Angela had planned to capitalize on the publicity generated following Michelle's arrest. The preliminary hearing lasted more than two months, and on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, Angela's attorneys cut a deal in the face of the overwhelming evidence against her. In exchange for a five-year prison sentence, Angela pleaded guilty to 10 felony and 22 misdemeanor charges, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, forgery, perjury, and falsely reporting a crime. Orange County's DA stated, If not for the hard work of law enforcement continuing to investigate and seek the truth in this case, Ms Hadley could have continued to face life in prison. It is unfathomable why Ms Diaz would concoct such a diabolical

scheme to hurt an innocent person. Even while pleading guilty, Diaz showed no remorse, compassion or empathy for the victim. We hope the resolution of this case brings some closure to Ms Hadley so she can move forward in her life. But Michelle Hadley hadn't yet received the closure she truly desired. There was one more person who she wanted to be held accountable for their crimes. Case file will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support case file to continue to deliver quality content.

When Michelle Hadley had first started dating A&D as, she was swept off her feet by his romantic gestures and the fast pace of his courtship. He'd showered her with gifts, compliments and early declarations of love. Michelle was shy, and the only other person she'd ever been in a relationship with was her high school sweetheart, so she was flattered by Ian's attention, protectiveness, and the way he proudly paraded her around his friends. But over time, he became controlling. He began dictating her appearance, instructing her to wear crop tops, have long acrylic nails, and get her navel pierced. He didn't like her friends, yet expected her to spend time with his. Ian started to monitor Michelle's movements and

communications, going so far as to install security cameras in their condo and watch the feed remotely. He programmed the settings on her mobile devices so that he could access their information and downloaded the contents of her computer onto a portable data storage device. Ian determined how much Michelle drank and the hours she slept. He often woke her up in the middle of the night to tend to his needs or to keep him company while he watched television. The disruptive sleep patterns impacted Michelle's work. She was constantly sick, tired or unable to concentrate and was often interrupted by Ian visiting her

office unannounced. Although Michelle loved her job, Ian pushed her to quit and work at Disneyland instead. The move resulted in a substantial pay cut and Michelle suspected that it was yet another way for Ian to control her life. He had previously worked at the resort, and she believed he was keeping tabs on her through his former colleagues. Ian also kept at least four firearms at home, and was often armed, which she found intimidating. When the couple were apart, Ian bombarded Michelle with text messages, including explicit images of himself.

Ian had very specific sexual desires. From the beginning of their relationship, he had tried to convince Michelle to indulge his fantasy of watching her have sex with other men. Whenever she travelled for work, he texted her incessantly, pleading with her to have sex with a stranger and record it for him. Michelle had no interest in the proposition and grew increasingly upset by his constant hounding. She threatened to leave if he didn't stop. But Ian eventually wore her down.

On Friday, February 14, 2014, Michelle was taking medication for a cold when she reluctantly agreed to indulge Ian's fantasy as a Valentine's Day gift. Ian used Craig's List to arrange for a stranger to come to their house. He then dressed Michelle in a provocative outfit, gave her three shots of fireball whiskey, and set up cameras in their bedroom. When the man arrived, Ian hid in the bathroom and watched as the stranger had sex with Michelle. This experience traumatized Michelle and she requested Ian destroy the footage. He assured her that he had, only to later admit that he hadn't.

Instead, he used its existence to taunt and bully Michelle, while continuing to pressure her to have sex with more strangers. She steadfastly refused, saying it felt like rape. This made Ian furious. In an effort to assert her independence and regain control over her life, Michelle enrolled in a part-time Masters of Business Administration course. Ian responded by becoming even more controlling. He manufactured arguments so Michelle had to cut class and insisted on accompanying her to the events she did attend. When she made breakfast plans with three new friends, Ian demanded to join them and then sulked in silence the entire time.

Michelle also suspected that he had fixed a tracking device to her vehicle, because anytime she drove outside the narrow triangle of home, school and work, Ian would call her immediately. Michelle told BuzzFeed News that when Ian proposed in December 2014, she accepted because she felt somewhat addicted to him. She described his influence as intensifying. After the couple moved into their new condo in June 2015, Michelle said that Ian's behaviour escalated. He often cornered Michelle and subjected her to angry tirades and rants that lasted hours. One night, the couple were out driving when a heated argument broke out.

Ian allegedly stopped the vehicle in the middle of a busy freeway and ordered Michelle to get out. She almost did, but ultimately refused. When she tried to leave the relationship, Ian allegedly threw her onto their bed and held her down, screaming at her as she tried to escape his grasp. Ian's ongoing demands for Michelle to have sex with strangers caused her severe emotional distress. During the only joint therapy session the couple ever attended, Michelle brought up the Valentine's Day incident. As they headed home afterwards, a furious Ian drove dangerously while screaming at her incessantly.

At one stage, Michelle emailed her sister requesting advice about Ian. She told BuzzFeed News that she thought she was the quote crazy one in their relationship, but came to realise there was something seriously wrong with Ian. In August 2015, two years after they met, Michelle packed as many belongings as she could fit into her car and left. In response, Ian destroyed most of the things she'd left behind. He continued making her life difficult by cancelling her car insurance and warning Michelle that he had people at Disneyland checking up on her. When she reported her concerns to the park's security officers, some of whom had previously worked with Ian, they didn't appear surprised.

They didn't appear surprised. After leaving Ayan, Michelle was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and suffered a trauma-induced episode. She quit her job at Disneyland and found a new one at a lending company. She also moved into an apartment near her university and informed campus staff that she was afraid of her former fiancée. Ian was subsequently banned from setting foot on university grounds, but on several occasions, Michelle thought she spotted his car following her. The condo they'd bought together made it impossible for Michelle to have a clean break. The condo they'd bought together made it impossible for Michelle to have a clean break.

She felt Ian was using his position in law enforcement to intimidate her into giving him full ownership of the property. The financial and emotional stress of having to continue repaying its mortgage led to Michelle feeling helpless. She self-medicated with alcohol, which further impacted her mental health and symptoms of her post-traumatic stress disorder manifested. It was the effects of her PTSD that led to her sending Ian belligerent emails citing the Bible and God. In one email, she confronted Ian over the Valentine's Day incident, writing, You do not get any woman, let alone the woman you purport to love, drunk and find a random man for her to have sex with while you make a pornographic video of her. That is rape, which

is against the law. Luckily, there are plenty of text messages and a video to prove that you and the man you found coerced me sexually." Ian informed Michelle that he'd shown her message to his colleagues in the U.S. Martial Service and the Anaheim Police Department and warned that they were, quote, "...fully aware of you and your issues with me." When the former couple eventually entered into a mutual settlement agreement on the condo, Michelle was relieved, even though it meant she stood to lose most of her down payment. When it looked as though Ian didn't intend to adhere to the agreement's deadline, Michelle sent Ian an email stating that she intended to sue him. Two days later, Michelle began receiving strange emails and

linked in messages from unknown senders. They urged her to warn Ian's new wife about his behavior and to save her from the life that Michelle had endured. Michelle suspected that Ian was behind these anonymous requests as well as the attempts to forward emails from other accounts to her personal Gmail. She feared that this was part of a plot he'd concocted to get out of their condo agreement. Too scared to continue living alone, she sold all her furniture, gave up her lease, resigned from her job, dropped out of university, and moved back in with her parents. In the weeks that followed, Michelle's world fell apart.

She was summoned to court after Angela Diaz filed a restraining order against her. She was accused of sending threatening emails and then arrested for attempted rape after an apparent attack against Angela. Michelle did everything she could think of to figure out who was behind the emails and Craig's listed advertisements, but the Anaheim Police Department didn't appear interested in investigating her claims. Michelle believed that this was due to E&D as a status as a US Marshal. It gave him an influence and a credibility with his fellow law enforcement officers that she didn't have.

Even after evidence emerged that Angela Diaz was the one behind the scheme, Michelle remained convinced that Ian was involved too. For starters, how could Angela have mimicked the biblical themed emails that were purportedly from Michelle unless Ian had shown her the similar ones Michelle had written to him? Secondly, Angela had no reason to want to harm Michelle, whereas gaining full access to the condo could be a motive for Ian. His deadline to take over the mortgage just happened to coincide with the supposed cyber stalking, and Michelle's second arrest came just days after she'd filed a breach of contract

notice against him. Even Angela's defence team had highlighted this motive during Angela's preliminary hearing. They too had argued that Ian was involved, while calling into question that timesheets Ian had provided to prove that he was at work when the bogus emails were sent from his condo. It emerged that Ian was responsible for filling the timesheets out himself. was responsible for filling the time sheets out himself. They hadn't been approved by a supervisor, and no one could confirm he'd actually been working at the relevant times. Michelle Hadley decided to file a civil lawsuit against Ian and Angela Diaz, as well as the city of Anaheim, alleging she was falsely imprisoned and traumatised as a result of the couple's actions.

More than a year after Angela pleaded guilty, Michelle expanded the suit to include several specific police officers, including detectives Michael Kunar and Michael Lee. She told BuzzFeed News, There's absolutely no doubt in my head about who did this. There never has been. Michelle's suit detailed her history with Ian, including allegations of the abuse she had endured. The civil complaint claimed that detectives from the Anaheim Police Department, quote,

willfully turned a blind eye to Ian Dia as his obviously false reports because he was a fellow law enforcement officer, dodged common sense, and ignored voluminous early evidence showing Ms. Hadley's innocence. They failed to apply rudimentary norms of verifying, collecting, and reviewing digital evidence. Instead, they bent over backwards to believe their fellow law enforcement officer, despite the overwhelming evidence incriminating him. It continued,

At its heart, this is a case about the blue wall of silence. Law enforcement officers and officials enabling fellow officers to violate civilians' rights. The Anaheim Police Department and its officers abdicated their duties to adhere to investigative norms, instead conspiring to do the bidding of a corrupt federal marshal. They appear to have willingly become E&D Azar's weapon in his tortuous campaign to ruin the life of his ex-girlfriend. It took several years for the suit to reach its resolution, but on April 30, 2021, it was announced that Michelle Hadley had settled with the city of Anaheim and four of its police

officers for $1.795 million. Ian and Angela Diaz also reached separate, undisclosed settlements with Michelle. When investigators finally looked into Ian Diaz's potential involvement, they discovered that he had downloaded a smartphone application called Hotspot Shield, which could be used to obscure an IP address. Email accounts used in the conspiracy had been created on devices belonging to Ian. He'd even used his work cell and computer, which belonged to the United States Martial Service throughout the scheme. Investigators discovered that Ian had responded to Craigslist users who'd posted ads seeking rape fantasy participants.

This was a clear attempt to lure them to his property to prove to law enforcement that Michelle Hadley posed a genuine safety risk to him and Angela. Ian had also used his personal cell phone to authenticate and approve a rape fantasy ad of his own. indicate and approve a rape fantasy art of his own. Throughout the scheme, Ian and Angela used encrypted messaging apps in order to communicate with each other secretly and securely. Yet, it appeared that Ian knew his time was running out. By August 2016, he tried to cover his tracks by changing his phone numbers and cancelling the email

accounts. By September, Anaheim detectives had obtained search warrants for the IP addresses behind the threatening emails. That same month, Ian told the detectives he suspected it was really Angela and not Michelle who was behind the cyber-stalking campaign. This attempt to throw his wife under the bus worked for a time, but eventually the truth came out. One month after Michelle Hadley's civil suit was settled with the city of Anaheim,

Ayan Diaz was arrested and charged with cyber-stalking, conspiracy to commit cyber-stalking, and perjury. Federal prosecutors alleged that Ian had conspired with Angela to frame Michelle in order to gain total control over the condo that she still co-owned. The pair had created numerous fake online profiles and email accounts in order to do this, and collectively staged the fake sexual assaults against Angela. E&D Aziz trial began in a Los Angeles federal court almost two years later in mid-March 2023. Prosecutors provided abundant evidence that he had been involved in the conspiracy from its inception.

involved in the conspiracy from its inception. On Thursday, March 23, 2023, the jury delivered their verdict. A&D Az was guilty on all counts. The verdict was praised by a spokesperson from the US Office of the Inspector General's Cyber Investigations Office, who stated, Ian Diaz's egregious actions entail eyes to law enforcement stripped a woman of her freedom and liberty. This kind of stalking, harassment and obstruction is unconscionable, and the jury held Diaz

accountable for his crimes. Ian Diaz faced a maximum possible sentence of 20 years, but prosecutors only requested that he receive 12 to 15. In her victim impact statement, Michelle Hadley said, This man did not just want the condo, he wanted to ruin my entire life. He wanted a felony and sex offender registration on my record so I could never lead a normal life after he was done with me. He wanted to make my worst nightmare come true. Ian's defense team asked that he receive just five years plus three years of supervised release. He had since remarried

and became a father, which his attorney pointed to as evidence that his life had, quote, changed significantly for the better since the offence conduct took place over seven years ago. Ultimately, A&D as was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison. It is unclear why it took so long for him to finally be charged with his crimes. In a comment provided to The Daily Beast, the attorneys who had represented Michelle Hadley in her civil suit were scathing about the delay, stating, Almost five years ago, our client reported that her ex-boyfriend was stalking and impersonating her online. Instead, it was our client who was arrested after her ex and his wife framed her in an

elaborate but shoddily executed plot. The most basic competence with digital evidence and intimate partner violence would have revealed to Anaheim police officers that she was being framed. It was our client's bravery and diligence in bringing her civil suit that exposed the holes in Anaheim's investigation and the cover-up of the cover-up. Let this be a lesson to all abusers. The law will catch up to you, even if you are a law enforcer." Over the years, Michelle Hadley had continued to grapple with the impacts of what her ex-partner had done to her. She'd suffered emotional and mental distress to the point that even

a knock at the door could cause her to break down in panic. Michelle had also lost faith in law enforcement. She couldn't believe that detectives had been so quick to take Ian's side when there was so little evidence implicating her. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Michelle pointed to the absurdity of the threatening messages which Ian and Angela claimed she had written. A number of them contained compliments about Angela's beauty and other traits. As Michelle pointed out, quote, it's really weird if the cops read this at all, they should have thought, why would

Michelle be complimenting Angela? Michelle's experience in jail had been eye-opening, and it led to her speaking out against injustices she saw within the prison system. In 2020, she wrote an essay in support of the Black Lives Matter movement for nonprofit news organization, The Marshall Project. In 2020, she wrote an essay in support of the Black Lives Matter movement for nonprofit news organization The Marshall Project. In it, Michelle described the double standards between how prison officials treated her, a young white woman, and the disdain with which they treated her elderly black cellmate. Michelle eventually moved to the East Coast to be close to her sister and gradually began to put the pieces of her life back together. She started her own retail business and helped raise money for a women's shelter, a cause close to

her heart. As a survivor of domestic abuse, Michelle hoped her story could provide some hope for other survivors by demonstrating that they weren't alone and there would always be other people willing to help them. Some of Michelle's faith in the justice system was finally restored when Ian Diaz was convicted. This had come at a particularly significant time. The date of the jury's verdict happened to be the same day that Michelle gave birth to her first child. She addressed this strange twist of fate in an interview with NBC News, stating,

My life has been filled by strange, often symbolic and sometimes beautiful coincidences like this. My daughter represents my rainbow after a very long storm, and my heart has never felt so full. One quiet summer night in Melbourne 46 years ago, Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett were brutally stabbed to death in their home in Easy Street, Collingwood, as Suzanne's young toddler, Leon, is caught. Their killer has never been found, and their double homicide remains one of Australia's most chilling coal cases. It would be absolutely fair to say that I'm 75 now. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think about this particular murder.

Did they know their killer or was it a random attack? At the time police weren't sure and warned women in Melbourne to lock their doors and windows. Yet they failed to interview a number of witnesses living in the street, one right next door to Sue and Suzanne. She told me that she was sitting there at the window because it was a hot night, and she said she saw a bloke leaving out the back gate. Until this day, until I die, I'm convinced

there were two killers, not one. Has the investigation focused on the wrong person? How many men were really there? In the Easy Street murders, we'll talk to forensic and legal experts, as well as Suzanne and Susan's family and friends. She had a good sense of humour, and the kids loved her

because she made them feel real. She wasn't constrained, I should say, by the norms of the time, which 45 years ago a single mother was regarded very poorly by society. And the retired detective who'll never forget walking into the little house in Easy Street. This guy has done something so bad, so bad that humanity just would never even forgive him, no matter who the relative was, what he did to those two girls

could never, ever, ever be forgiven by anyone.