Netflix's A Toxic Love Story victim sent heartbreaking letter to judge before 'twisted' ex's sentencing
Michelle Hadley wrote a harrowing letter to a judge, who went on to sentence her ex to a decade in prison.
Hadley, who features in Netflix's Toxic Love Story documentary, served 88 days in jail for a crime she did not commit.
Hadley had been engaged to Ian Diaz, whom she met online in 2013, but the pair went their separate ways two years later as a result Diaz's controlling behavior.
That wasn't the last she heard from her ex, however, and Diaz and his new partner Angela Connell went on to terrorize Hadley.
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Connell, who quickly wed Diaz after they met, went to police in 2016 claiming that Hadley was harassing her online and had even sent her graphic images of decapitated babies and aborted fetuses.
Connell and Diaz (a former US marshal) also alleged that Hadley had posted Craigslist ads using a photo Connell soliciting men to act out rape fantasies at their home.
Hadley went to be arrested in 2016. She pleaded not guilty to cyberstalking charges and ended up spending three months in prison.
Ultimately police discovered that it was actually Diaz and Connell that had been sending the messages by using a VPN, thus clearing Hadley's name. The married couple were then charged instead.
At Diaz's sentencing, Hadley shared a harrowing letter to the judge.
'Being falsely arrested and imprisoned amounted to my worst nightmare'
In the letter, which has been obtained by TMZ, she wrote: "I was a captive of Mr. Diaz long before I ever ended up in a jail cell.
"In fact, while the experience of being falsely arrested and imprisoned amounted to my worst nightmare, I have often told friends and loved ones this chilling truth: that I would take three months in jail over a single day spent in his company."
The letter added that it was 'important for the court to understand the impact that Mr. Diaz has had on my life', and described Diaz as 'dark, twisted and malicious'.
'I didn’t have shadows in my eyes before Ian Diaz'
She concluded: "Your honor, I didn’t have shadows in my eyes before Ian Diaz, but I certainly did after what he put me through."
When Diaz was handed 10 years, Hadley said she was 'grateful'.
"I am so grateful to the [Justice Department Office of Inspector General] for the work they put into this case and to the jury for a conviction that has brought so much peace to my family and restored some of the faith we lost in the justice system as a result of Diaz’s crimes against me," she said in a statement to NBC News at the time.
After Hadley was released from prison following her wrongful charges, she finished off her masters degree and pursued a career in marketing.
Per her LinkedIn profile, she is currently working as a Customer Relationship Management Manager.
Toxic Love Story: A timeline of what happened
2013: Ian Diaz meets Michelle Hadley
Ian Diaz, a deputy US marshal, meets graduate student Michelle Hadley online and the pair quickly begin dating.
2015: The couple purchase an apartment together
In June 2015, they buy a condominium together in an Anaheim suburb in California. This wasn't cheap due to the location - Ian and Michelle obtained a mortgage worth just under $500,000, with Michelle paying out almost $15,000 as a down payment.
August 2015: Ian and Michelle's relationship ends
Just two months after buying their condo, the couple call it quits - but the condo very quickly becomes a source of financial frustration for the former couple, with text messages in September of that year showing them discussing the financial burden.
2016: Ian marries Angela Connell
Despite getting married in 2016, the early stages of Ian and Angela's relationship is overshadowed by the financial problems Ian continued to share with Michelle over the condo.
2016: Ian and Angela plot to frame Michelle for being a cyberstalker
In a shocking plan, the married couple open up multiple online accounts under Michelle’s name, using fake emails to create and respond to 'rape fantasy' ads on Craigslist.
They later lie to authorities by saying that Michelle had purposely invited men to their home, pretending to be Angela, so that they would sexually assault her.
A number of men respond to the ads and arrived at Ian and Angela's property, which Angela then used to fabricate her claims against Michelle.
2016: Michelle is arrested and imprisoned
After the Diaz family file several restraining orders against her, Michelle is eventually arrested by Anaheim authorities. Despite protesting her innocence, she spends 88 days in prison after being given a $1 million bail.
2016: Ian and Angela's lies begin to unravel
While Michelle was wrongly serving time behind bars, digital forensic investigators begin tracing the online accounts and posts, and what they found pointed not to Michelle, but to Angela.
The devices used to create and manage the accounts were also linked to Angela, with IP address records telling the same story.
2017: Michelle is released from prison and Angela is arrested
On the same day Michelle got her freedom back, Angela is arrested and later in the year, she pleads guilty to charges including forgery, false imprisonment and kidnapping.
She is sentenced to five years in prison.
2021-2023: Ian is arrested and charged
His involvement was investigated in more depth in 2021, and two years later, in 2023, Ian is found guilty of cyberstalking, perjury and obstruction of justice.
He is sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, alongside three years of supervised release.
2023: Michelle speaks out following the sentencing
Michelle, who amazingly gave birth to her first child on the very day Ian was sentenced, says in a statement to NBC News: "I am so grateful to the [Justice Department Office of Inspector General] for the work they put into this case and to the jury for a conviction that has brought so much peace to my family and restored some of the faith we lost in the justice system as a result of Diaz’s crimes against me."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
Topics: True crime, Netflix, Documentaries
Niamh Shackleton