The twisted plot that sent an innocent woman to jail while her ex and his wife walked free
In July 2016, Michelle Hadley was arrested for allegedly cyberstalking and threatening her ex-fiancé Ian Diaz and his wife, Angela Connell. She spent 88 days in jail for what turned out to be a calculated frame job.
The Netflix documentary “A Toxic Love Story,” which premiered on July 23, explores the bizarre case of deception.
In 2016, Ian and Angela made several calls to law enforcement officials in Anaheim, California, claiming that Michelle was sending Angela threatening messages from an account titled LilithIsTruth. They accused Michelle of posting rape fantasy ads on Craigslist using Angela’s identity, intending for a stranger to assault Angela at her home.
In June 2016, Angela claimed that a man had come to her and Ian’s condo and attempted to rape her. No such attack ever occurred, but the false police report led to Michelle’s arrest. While Michelle was in jail, law enforcement began to suspect that Angela had sent the threatening emails to herself and lied about the attempted rape.
Angela had a history of deception. Before marrying Ian, she lied about having cancer. Her then-boyfriend Jason Rayburn began to have suspicions when he caught Angela lying about one of her doctor’s appointments. He later discovered that a photo Angela claimed to have taken while receiving chemotherapy was from a stock image website. Angela also allegedly lied to Ian about being pregnant with twins, showing him a fake sonogram and doctored pregnancy tests.
Angela was arrested in January 2017 for her role in framing Michelle. She pleaded guilty to charges including fraud, false imprisonment and falsely reporting a crime. She was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Ian had his and Angela’s marriage annulled in April 2017.
Angela’s imprisonment was far from the end of the story. In “A Toxic Love Story,” Department of Justice Special Agent Jason Higley recalls his investigation into Ian. After reviewing body cam footage from Angela and Ian’s 9-1-1 calls, he became convinced that Ian was coaching Angela on what to say. He later discovered fragments of a LilithIsTruth email on Ian’s computer that proved he had composed the message.
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Ian was arrested in May 2021. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted of stalking, perjury and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Are Ian and Angela still in prison?
Angela was released from prison in 2020 and completed her parole in 2021. She lives in Arizona and works as the Director of Peer Counseling for Exhale ProVoice, an organization that provides after-abortion emotional support and resources.
During a November 2025 interview with Voyage Phoenix magazine, Angela said she found the nonprofit organization after being “released from prison after a wrongful conviction.”
Angela declined to participate in “A Toxic Love Story.”
Ian Diaz remains incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. He was dismissed from the U.S. Marshals Service in 2023. He attempted to appeal his conviction, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied it in January 2025. Ian’s release date is listed as Jan. 31, 2031. He also declined to participate in the Netflix doc.
Why did Ian and Angela try to frame Michelle?
Prior to their breakup, Michelle paid for the down payment on her and Ian’s condo. Ian remained at the residence after their split, and Angela later moved in. Michelle feared for her life after breaking up with Ian, noting that he would message her incessantly and seemed to be following her.
In “A Toxic Love Story,” Special Agent Higley speculated that wanting to keep the condo was only part of Ian’s motive for framing Michelle.
“To me, it boils down to Ian wanting to control someone. He wanted to control Michelle, and she got away, and that made him angry,” Higley said. “In my view, Angela Connell was a perfect partner, because she craved empathy. Angela loved portraying herself as a victim, and Ian exploited that.”
Where is Michelle Hadley now?
Michelle successfully sued the Anaheim Police Department in 2021 and was awarded significant damages. She gave birth to her daughter on March 4, 2023, the same day that Ian was convicted.
“Raising this beautiful little girl is my fairytale ending. I think it is ‘happily ever after,’” she said in “A Toxic Love Story.”
According to her LinkedIn page, Michelle works as a customer relationship management consultant. She received an MBA from Chapman University in 2017. She has also penned two self-help books for domestic violence survivors, “The Courage to Heal” and “The Courage to Love.”
“A Toxic Love Story” is available to stream on Netflix.