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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
In a bizarre twist that seems straight out of a novel, a romance writer faces allegations of a real-life murder involving a motel owner.
Kyle Ann Morrow, aged 73, has been indicted with deliberate homicide for the demise of Gene Gudmundson, according to a press announcement by the Meagher County Sheriff’s Office in Montana.
Morrow remains held at Broadwater County Detention Center under a $1 million bond, as per jail documents reviewed by Oxygen. Her plea status is undisclosed, and Oxygen reports inability to find her legal representative.
On the 12th of July, donned in a leopard-print sundress, cowboy hat, and leather gloves, Morrow allegedly entered the Spa Hot Springs Motel in the quaint town of White Sulphur Springs. She inquired about Geneand his wife, Andreluz Gudmundson, detailed in a probable cause affidavit seen by Oxygen.
Not long afterwards, Morrow purportedly proceeded past a swinging gate and fatally shot Gene.
“She said, ‘He is a son of a b—h, I shot him,’” an employee recalled in the affidavit. “I went to his office and saw him on the floor and blood.”
Later, when the Meagher County Undersheriff went to Morrow’s home, she allegedly refused to communicate and ignored seven attempts to reach her by phone, according to the affidavit.
“Sometime later, Kyle Morrow left the residence on her own, got into her Nissan Frontier, and began to leave her property,” the affidavit noted. “She was physically blocked by Montana Highway Patrol and Deputies, directed her out of the vehicle and she was taken into custody.”
In Morrow’s car, police found a partially filled bottle of Jameson and a handgun case, according to the affidavit. Multiple suicide notes, the affidavit revealed, were also uncovered in her home.
Morrow is a former motel employee with whom Meagher County Sheriff Jon Lopp said he’s had “mostly positive” exchanges.
“She was just Kyle,” Lopp told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. “We’ve seen her around; she rode her bike around a lot.”
After reading Fifty Shades of Grey, Morrow was inspired to become an author, penning three books—Belt Buckle Bunny, Black Iron Brandy and Two Crow Omen. To her, she created the “rodeo erotica” genre, with all her books including themes of romance and homicide.
“We knew that those were subjects that she wrote a lot in her books,” Lopp told the Chronicle. “But we got to look at everything, got to look at the whole picture.”
A review on Morrow’s website, by “Andreluz, Owner of Spa Hot Springs Hotel, Montana,” praised Black Iron Brandy as a page-turner.
“I’m hooked! Love it!,” Gene’s wife wrote. “Kyle, you’re amazingly funny!!!…thanks for the good read, my friend! Annie.”
Relocating a loved one to Australia has traditionally demanded both considerable expense and patience.
Starting this month, those seeking a partner visa are confronted with a staggering application fee of $11,710. This marks a significant rise of $2,345 from the previous fee, exacerbating the plight of many applicants who endure more than a year awaiting approval. This prolonged process forces couples apart for months or, in some instances, several years.
This development hit home for Sarosh Akram, who was on the verge of submitting an application for his wife’s visa from abroad when the price hike took effect.
“The increase has made me reconsider my financial strategy to ensure I can file the application as soon as possible and begin the inevitable wait with the Department [of Home Affairs],” Akram, 32, explained to SBS News.
Residing in Parkes, a community nestled in central western New South Wales (NSW), Akram is now strategizing on how to minimize expenses and boost savings to meet this higher financial requirement.
This has further complicated my situation and delayed my life, which I intended to start with my partner in Australia.
Akram says the fee increase has delayed his plans to lodge the application, adding another hurdle before he and his wife can begin the process of reuniting in Australia.
Akram’s case highlights a broader debate over Australia’s partner visa system, now among the most expensive in the developed world, with applicants facing rising fees and lengthy waits, while the government argues the increases are needed to fund migration system reforms.
Paying more, waiting longer
Partner visa applications can be lodged through two pathways: offshore for applicants outside Australia and onshore for applicants already in Australia.
Both pathways involve a two-stage process: eligible applicants first receive a temporary partner visa before becoming eligible for permanent residency at a later stage. The full visa application charge (VAC), however, is paid upfront when the combined application is lodged.
According to the Department of Home Affairs’ website, the median processing time for offshore partner visa applications is approximately 16 months, meaning half of the applicants receive a decision within that period. Ninety per cent of applicants receive a decision within 27 months. The data was last updated on 26 June 2026.
Those waiting times have become a reality for partner visa sponsors like Ahtesham Altaf.
The 36-year-old lodged his wife’s offshore partner visa application in January and has been waiting ever since.
“I applied with the hope that I would get a visa soon, as I was paying quite a higher price compared to other visas, but instead I’ve been waiting since then,” he tells SBS News.
I’ve tried multiple visa options to bring my wife to Australia, but even her visitor visa application was refused.
Working as a civil engineer in the regional NSW city of Maitland, Altaf moved to Australia in 2023 as a skilled migrant on a permanent visa.
He says he has since spent close to $10,500 on visa fees and medical checks, with no certainty about when his wife will be able to join him.
Abul Rizvi, former deputy secretary of the immigration department, says cases like Altaf’s reflect a “growing” backlog that fee increases alone are unlikely to fix.
The fee increases are generally poor policy.
“The fee increase may marginally slow the application rate, but the backlog is so big and the application rate so much higher than the finalisation rate and the planning level that the backlog will keep growing,” Rizvi tells SBS News.
He also raises questions about how visa fee revenue is being used.
“The current political climate means the government can increase the fees to extraordinary levels and it appears not to use the money to clear backlogs without fear of political criticism.”
What does the government say?
The government says the increase in VAC is part of wider reforms to the migration system and is intended to support improvements across the migration program.
In an interview with SBS Nepali, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he did not accept the way the visa fee increase has been characterised, arguing visa fees needed to be considered alongside other costs involved in moving overseas.
“Just remember with the costs as well, anybody who’s travelling overseas for an extended period of time has already decided that they’ve got the cost of an airfare and, you know, the visa fees are, are well below that,” he said.
Burke acknowledged the importance of partner visas and the personal circumstances behind many applications, but said the government must make decisions across the entire migration system with available resources.
“Every visa category exists because there are benefits to Australia and the sort of country we are if we can fill those positions. And I have to deal with that with the limited resources that we have.”
Among the ‘highest-cost’ partner visa pathways
Rumina Iqbal, a Melbourne-based registered migration agent who has worked with partner visa applications for the past decade, says applicants are paying significantly more for a process where waiting times have remained broadly similar.
While VACs are typically reviewed and adjusted annually, with changes taking effect from 1 July each year as part of the government’s standard indexation process, Iqbal says this year’s increases for some visa categories are unprecedented and exceed what would ordinarily be expected from CPI-linked indexation.
Every year, there is an increase in the partner visa fee, but it was never this much. This time, it’s huge.
Australia’s partner visa cost is among the highest compared with similar family migration pathways in several countries. The United Kingdom’s spouse visa, applied for from outside the country, costs about $3,942, while New Zealand’s Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa costs about $4,438.
By comparison, a standard Canadian spousal sponsorship costs about $1,364 in government fees, while the United States pathway costs around $1,872 to 1,955.
The fee varies across countries because some include the medical examination and other miscellaneous charges in the total upfront cost.
While migration systems and eligibility requirements vary between countries, Iqbal says the comparisons show the financial burden faced by Australian partner visa applicants.
“When we look at the price tag, it’s one of the highest in the developed world, with such long waiting times,” she says.
She says the financial pressure extends beyond the initial payment, as partner visa application fees are generally non-refundable.
“If your relationship ends, then, other than in very limited circumstances, you might not be able to get your visa fee back,” she says, noting that family violence and partner death are among the few exceptions.
Iqbal says applicants need to carefully consider the financial commitment before lodging, as the cost can add to the pressure during an already lengthy process.
She says the government could reduce that stress by allowing applicants to split the payment across the visa stages rather than paying the full fee upfront.
The cost of waiting
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said the government is investing in reforming the migration system through the 2026-27 federal budget, with additional revenue from the VAC increases supporting these reforms alongside other priorities.
The spokesperson said Australia remains an attractive destination, and higher application charges are unlikely to materially affect demand for most visa categories.
They say VACs are often only a small part of an applicant’s overall cost to travel to, work in, or live in Australia.
“Migrants come to Australia seeking access to our strong labour market, high quality of life, reliable infrastructure, and stable political climate,” the spokesperson told SBS News.
The department also notes that demand for permanent visas continues to exceed the places available under Australia’s permanent migration planning levels.
For sponsors like Akram, the challenge is finding the extra money needed just to lodge an application.
For others like Altaf, paying the fee was only the beginning. He is still waiting for the decision that will allow his wife to join him in Australia. Until then, the thousands of dollars spent have secured little more than a place in the queue.
This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Urdu.
“Given my past experiences with Brian, I believe he deceived us all,” shares Donna Hooker, the stepmother of Brian Hooker.
Her candid remarks were made during a livestream on the popular “Surviving the Survivor” podcast, where she expressed her determination to aid investigators in finding any leads concerning the puzzling disappearance of Brian’s wife, Lynette Hooker.
Lynette Hooker, a 55-year-old mother from Michigan, disappeared without a trace in the Bahamas during a sailing excursion with her husband aboard their vessel, “Soulmate.” She was reported missing on April 4, with Brian reporting her fall overboard from a dinghy as the cause.
Brian Hooker made a visit to the Central Police Station in Freeport, The Bahamas, on April 14, 2026, to retrieve his wedding band and watch, accompanied by his attorney, Terrel A. Butler. Notably, the ring now rests on his pinky and was not with him upon his release from custody after inquiries regarding Lynette Hooker’s disappearance. (Matthew Symons for News Media)
Initially, Bahamian officials detained Brian Hooker for questioning in relation to his wife’s vanishing. However, after being released, he returned to the United States by mid-April, leaving many unanswered questions in his wake.
The Tribune, a local newspaper in Nassau, reported that Brian’s stepmom has never been contacted by investigators despite knowing him for decades.
MISSING AMERICAN’S HUSBAND HAD $33K THERMAL CAMERA ON BOAT THAT NIGHT AND NEVER USED IT, FRIEND SAYS
Lynette Hooker, left, and her husband, Brian Hooker, right, are pictured next to their sailboat, Soulmate.(Brian Hooker/Facebook; obtained by News Media; Matthew Symons for News Media)
Donna Hooker told the outlet she believes she could provide valuable insight as authorities continue investigating Lynette’s disappearance.
Donna Hooker, who was married to Brian’s father for more than 40 years, said she lived with her stepson during part of his teenage years in the 1980s.
She described him as intelligent, quiet and reserved. She said investigators in both the Bahamas and the United States have not reached out to her, but she is willing to answer any questions.
The U.S. Coast Guard seized Brian Hooker’s sailboat ‘Soulmate’ as she was en route from the Bahamas back to the U.S.(DVIDS)
“He had his own room and everything and he would stay in his room all the time,” she said to the outlet. “He was quiet and for a long time he would just stay in his room and not do much of anything,” she said.
She said over the years it became harder to get a ahold of her stepson. She said she and Brian’s late father, George, would try and reach out to him through his sister, Jennifer, who lives in California.
Donna Hooker told a journalist the last time she saw her stepson was in April 2022, when he visited his father after George Hooker suffered a stroke, and she has not heard from him since.
Brian Hooker leaves the Central Police Station in Freeport, Bahamas, a free man after the police let him go in the disappearance of his wife on April 13, 2026.(Matthew Symons for News Media)
She said she learned of Lynette’s disappearance from a family member in Texas who told her to turn on the news, and that Jennifer never responded to multiple messages after reportedly traveling to the Bahamas following Brian’s initial release from Bahamian custody.
News Media has reached out to the Coast Guard Investigative Service, which is investigating the case.
Brian Hooker has not been accused of any crime or wrongdoing.
News Media reached out to his attorney for comment. His attorney previously said he has been in contact with investigators.
The investigation into Lynette’s disappearance is active and ongoing.
This summer, a particularly unpleasant parasite is making rounds in the United States, leaving thousands suffering from severe gastrointestinal distress. Dubbed the “explosive diarrhea” parasite, this bug has left individuals narrating harrowing experiences of persistent nausea and bouts of intense bathroom visits, where their bodies struggle to retain anything but water.
“It’s severe. It’s like you’re just passing pure water,” recounted user Brixie02 on a vibrant New Jersey Reddit discussion board. “This isn’t your typical diarrhea. It leaves you feeling utterly drained.”
As of the latest reports, cyclosporiasis has afflicted 4,173 individuals across the nation, leading to the hospitalization of 308. This foodborne parasite has surfaced in 41 states, igniting widespread concern.
The fight against this ailment has been long and arduous for some, dragging on for over a month. Reddit user LeadingCommon2239 shared their lengthy battle, now dependent on antibiotics that provide some relief, though a complete recovery seems elusive.
“The cramps are relentless and the gas is overwhelming,” the user expressed candidly. “Each day is a struggle with discomfort, as gases seem to lodge in unfamiliar areas, causing unnerving and painful sensations.”
User m_alice88’s husband had a similar experience with diarrhea in “bouts” over many days.
“It’s not always severe and ‘explosive,’” they said. “For him, the diarrhea was on and off but for like 10+ days in a row, plus bloat, weight loss, etc. and when he did have a bout, it was very watery.”
Labretrievermom says they had two weeks of diarrhea before people at work started testing positive for it. The user says they went on antibiotics after testing positive for cyclospora and two strains of E. coli.
The CDC says cases are only expected to rise.
That’s because cyclospora can incubate in a person for weeks before they start showing symptoms and seek help. But also because even at the doctor’s office, it’s hard to diagnose. Routine stool tests miss the parasite.
Questions — and diarrhea — linger as med bills skyrocket
Anonniemuss has dealt with cyclospora coming and going three times over the last month.
Their first wave landed them in the ER with an $850 copay, they said. “It was the worst stomach cramps I had ever experienced in my life, [I was] vomiting even water, and had lost 10 pounds.”
The illness cleared up, came back, and repeated the cycle once more. They said they’ve lost a total of 20 pounds this month, and now their 4-year-old just started having diarrhea.
Cyclospora requires a specific stool test to find it, which anonniemuss said wasn’t administered the first time, and they weren’t tested at all the second time. It was only the third time, when they requested the test, were their suspicions confirmed.
Folks like Busy-Literature-6737 suspect cyclosporiasis but remain in the dark as their diarrhea lingers without an official diagnosis, which can be expensive.
“I had explosive diarrhea, fatigue, lots of gas, cramping before needing to go and some faint lingering aches, feeling like I didn’t empty enough, it wasn’t watery but it was like mush,” they said. “It seemed to get better and then it came back. I’ve been having half solid half diarrhea now. I’ve been considering getting tested but I’m trying to save money.”
M_alice88 says their insurance won’t cover the test, which for them costs over $300. “Cases are for sure very underreported because of this. It’s maddening. I’m looking into how to report it officially now because this is insane.”
Other users are flocking to forums to get unofficial opinions about whether their symptoms look more like cyclosporiasis or norovirus or something else.
What to do if you think you have cyclosporiasis
Multiple users are reporting warning signs before the cyclospora diarrhea unleashes. Ka_benne says they had a couple of nights of sweating before diarrhea came a week later. LeadingCommon2239 says nausea came on out of nowhere and lasted for weeks before the diarrhea started.
If you think you have the disease, go to the doctor and ask for a special stool test. It’s possible that there aren’t many oocysts (the parasite’s eggs) in one sample but may be plentiful in another day’s stool — which means coming in over several days to do stool testing.
Once diagnosed, doctors will give you an antibiotics like Bactrim to kill cyclospora in the body. You may also get antidiarrheal meds or IV fluids to prevent dehydration.
Without treatment, symptoms can last a month or longer and it’s possible it will go away on its own. But not seeking treatment puts you at risk of dangerous complications like severe dehydration, which can lead to organ failure.
Cases continue climbing following a massive recall of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, which distributes to major food companies like Whole Foods, Sysco, and Taco Bell.
Now, parsley and cilantro may also be fueling the spread.
To stay safe, don’t buy pre-cut salad kits or veg, strip outer leaves of leady greens, wash things thoroughly with scrubbing, and cook whenever you can rather than eat veg raw.
A stunning video has surfaced capturing the moment a Ukrainian backseat gunner skillfully shot down multiple Russian drones from an open cockpit.
In the footage, the co-pilot of a Yak-52 is seen seated in the plane’s backseat, confidently taking aim with his assault rifle to target the Shahed drones.
One clip reveals a dramatic scene where, following the rifle’s fire, a slim line of smoke trails from the drone’s right wing. The pilot then maneuvers closer, leading to the drone’s explosion over the sea.
The backseat marksman is also recorded bringing down other enemy drones, which erupt into flames, detonate upon crashing in a field, and tumble through the clouds.
These Shahed drones, a major contribution from Iran to Vladimir Putin’s war efforts, have been adapted by Russian forces for strikes against Ukraine.
Footage was released after Russia was hit by a new wave of long-range strikes by the Ukrainian military, including a hit on a key nuclear missile base.
The ‘military barracks’ in the Saratov region was engulfed in flames following a missile and drone alert today.
Engels-2 base is home to Putin’s prized strategic nuclear bombers which have been repeatedly used in KH-101 missile strikes on Ukraine.
A Ukrainian Yak-52 backseat gunner has shot down a Shahed drone from the plane’s open cockpit
Footage captured the co-pilot aiming his assault rifle at the Russian drone before shooting it out of the sky
The video footage comes as Ukrainian forces are hitting Russia with a wave of long-range strikes
There were no reports of any casualties at the airbase located near the city of Engels.
The Ukrainian strike came after new intelligence suggests Putin is plotting a massive autumn offensive, having recruited more Russian men to fight, in an attempt to reverse setbacks.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his secret service agents assess Putin is poised for a huge new mobilisation draft in September or October.
‘We have clear information from intelligence that Russia is preparing a new wave of mobilisation for the autumn, a rather significant one,’ he said.
‘At the same time, the Russians are losing more of their soldiers on the front lines than they are recruiting, and Putin intends to increase attacks and expand this war. He needs more Russians to participate in the assaults.
‘We must proactively protect ourselves from this – at all levels: on the front lines, through our long-range sanctions, through our mid-range strikes, through our diplomacy, and, of course, through communication with everyone who is able to support life and bring peace closer.’
Ukraine has also been flexing its long-distance unmanned aerial power with strikes on oil refineries.
A refinery some 1,170 miles from the front line in the Siberian city of Tyumen exploded earlier today.
Ukrainian forces have drone striked a Russian oil refinery in the Tyumen region
Black smoke erupts from an oil refinery in Ulyanovsk that was hit by Ukrainian drones
Russia’s Amazon, Wildberries, has been attacked by drones ten times in the last week
Putin was visiting Omsk, 338 miles away, before a drone alert was issued ahead of his meeting with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In the Ulyanovsk region, kamikaze drones hit another refinery which burst into flames more than 600 miles away from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine also shared drone footage in a post on X titled: ‘A massive Russian armoured assault on Dobropillia axis ended in failure’.
The post showed drones seconds before impact and said Ukrainian forces destroyed nine Russian tanks, two armoured vehicles, three Grad MLRS and dozens of soldiers.
Yesterday Ukraine suffered a major blow with a Russian attack on an arms exhibition which killed ten and left 70 wounded.
Among the dead was Valentyna Savitska, head of the Centre for International Co-operation and Strategic Communications at the State Security Service.
Her husband, Ihor Solovey, head of the Spravdi Centre for Strategic Communications, said: ‘My family is experiencing a terrible tragedy.’
In the last week, Russia’s Amazon, known as Wildberries, has been hit by drones ten times in a blitz of attacks.
The latest strike which took place today narrowly missed a warehouse in Yekaterinburg over 1,000 miles from the front line but it did destroy delivery trucks and force workers to flee.
It is said that the financial impact the war has had on the Russian economy may soon reach £3billion.
John Cusack stepped into the spotlight at San Diego Comic-Con, showcasing his latest creation, a graphic novel titled Momo.
“I’ve always believed graphic novels come closest to filmmaking,” Cusack, now 60, explained to Variety on Friday, July 24. “Crafting a graphic novel involves selecting shots in a cinematic way. I had a story to tell, and I wanted to do it without the compromises filmmaking often demands.”
He elaborated further, noting that, “In the movie business, when someone invests $20 or $30 million, they naturally want a say and often worry about various factors. With this project, I simply penned it and thought, ‘I love this story.’”
Cusack authored Momo independently. This heist-meets-road trip adventure, with a sci-fi twist, is set in 1972 and will be released by Mad Cave Studios.
While many of the biggest names of the ’80s launched their careers in that vibrant decade, a number of their peers from the era have chosen to lead quieter lives today. Icons like Tom Cruise, famous for his iconic scene in Risky Business, and members of the Brat Pack made their marks in the 1980s. Explore which stars rose to fame during this unforgettable decade — and discover where they are now!
“I got this beautiful, wonderful artist, Ignacio [Noé], to do the illustrations,” he said on Friday. “Nobody edited anything I wrote or what he drew, and so, it’s really a piece of work done by two people. … It was just me and Ignacio’s story, and that doesn’t happen today. It’s an anti-algorithm thing, like, there’s no committee and there’s no computer up in Seattle that’s poll-testing it.”
Cusack debuted his first graphic novel at SDCC on Friday.
“It’s not ‘on brand.’ It’s more like a brand-buster,” he told Forbesahead of his panel. “It is based on a true story. It’s all in recently declassified files that I managed to obtain.”
Cusack, who hinted to Forbes that he is already working on a sophomore book with Noé, further detailed his motivation for pivoting into the literary industry.
Several A-listers have decided to say goodbye to Los Angeles and grow roots elsewhere. Years after This Is Us came to an end, for example, star Chrissy Metz relocated from the City of Angels to Nashville. “I was in L.A. for 21 years, but my family is in Florida, where I’m from, and during the […]
“Back when I was starting to make movies, you would find people who had aspirations to do something totally unique, not just installments in a franchise or something that fit their business strategy,” he stated. “I wanted to do something like movies from a different era, and no matter what happens, if someone reads it and likes it, I count that as a success.”
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Cusack has notably been acting since the 1980s, beginning with his breakout role in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles. He later starred in films such asSay Anything, High Fidelity, Must Love Dogs, Serendipity and America’s Sweethearts.
In the years since his film success, Cusack has stepped back from the stoplight.
“I was lucky that I never had the desire, or no one asked me to do any sequels. There’s one that I think would be interesting to do, which would be 1408,” he quipped during a Say Anything screening last year, per People. “Just because … I think today, you know, most movies suck. There’s still the horror psychological, you know, that Rod Serling kinda stuff. That’s still pretty pure. If you can pull off something like that, it’s fun.”
In an unforgettable spectacle, King Charles and Queen Camilla made a grand entrance at the Commonwealth Games, stepping out of Doctor Who’s Tardis.
King Charles astonished onlookers by arriving at the Commonwealth Games in a Tardis.
The royal couple attended the opening ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland, on Thursday, July 23, 2026. They captivated the audience at the Hydro arena with their dramatic arrival from the iconic old police box, synonymous with the beloved sci-fi series. This entrance marked a memorable start to the games and delighted fans of both the monarchy and Doctor Who alike.
Their entrance was preceded by a short film in which Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and actor Greg McHugh set about organising transport for the King and Queen and they opted for a Tardis flight. The film showed the blue box whizzing past Scottish landmarks including Loch Ness and Edinburgh Castle to the TV show’s iconic theme tune, seemingly picking up the royals before they stepped out of the Tardis in the arena in Glasgow.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were then escorted to their seats in the royal box by Hoy and McHugh where they were greeted by the UK’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
A woman from California found herself entangled in a harrowing legal nightmare, spending 88 days in jail and staring down the harsh reality of a potential life sentence. She was accused of orchestrating a series of chilling online attacks, allegedly sending men to assault her former fiancé’s new spouse through sinister internet advertisements.
The case against Michelle Hadley initially appeared solid, bolstered by threatening emails, witness accounts, and men claiming they responded to ads promising a twisted “rape fantasy.” Yet, as investigations unravelled, state and federal prosecutors discovered an unsettling twist—the supposed victims were orchestrating an elaborate hoax.
The gripping saga, rekindled by Netflix’s documentary “A Toxic Love Story,” throws light on the 2016 scandal involving Hadley, her ex-fiancé Ian Diaz, and his then-wife Angela Connell, who was known as Angela Diaz during their turbulent marriage.
Here are five crucial insights into this bewildering case.
The Netflix documentary, “A Toxic Love Story,” delves into the shocking fabrication spun by Ian Diaz, a former U.S. Marshal, and his wife, Angela Connell Diaz. They concocted a plan to frame Ian’s ex-fiancée, Michelle Hadley, with cyberstalking and deceitful rape-fantasy charges that led to her brief, wrongful imprisonment before her name was cleared. (COURTESY OF NETFLIX)
1. Hadley was accused of terrorizing her ex-fiancé’s new wife
Hadley began dating Ian Diaz in 2013 after they met online, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The couple bought a condominium together in Anaheim, California, but separated in 2015 amid a dispute over the property and their finances.
Ian Diaz met Angela Connell online in January 2016 and married her the following month. She moved into the condominium he had purchased with Hadley.
Beginning in June 2016, Angela Diaz told Anaheim police that Hadley was sending her increasingly violent emails and threatening her and her alleged unborn children. She also accused Hadley of impersonating her online and directing men to the home for “rape fantasy” encounters.
At least two men who intended to travel to the condominium told investigators that they believed they had been invited to participate in consensual “rape fantasy” encounters, prosecutors said. On June 24, Angela Diaz called 911 and claimed a man had entered her garage and tried to rape her.
Police arrested Hadley that day and released her on $100,000 bail. She was arrested again on July 14 and held on $1 million bail as the alleged threats continued.
2. She spent 88 days in jail for crimes she did not commit
Hadley faced felony charges carrying a potential life sentence as authorities initially portrayed her as a jilted former lover who had launched a calculated revenge campaign.
But there were problems with the case.
After Hadley’s first arrest, Angela Diaz reported that the emails had stopped. When Hadley was released, the threatening messages resumed even though Hadley did not yet have access to her email, prosecutors later said.
Hadley remained jailed until Oct. 7, 2016, when prosecutors released her.
Michelle Hadley spent nearly three months in jail after she was falsely accused of stalking Angela Diaz and framed for trying to have her raped.(Facebook)
On Jan. 9, 2017, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas dismissed every charge and publicly declared her “fully exonerated.”
3. Digital evidence and Angela Diaz’s other lies cracked the case
Investigators traced the threatening emails and sexual advertisements not to Hadley, but to the condominium shared by Ian and Angela Diaz, Angela’s cellphone and her father’s home in Arizona, according to the district attorney’s office.
Authorities said Angela Diaz used approximately eight email accounts, VPNs and proxy servers to hide the messages’ origins.
She sent herself threats, posed as Hadley and provided men with photographs of herself, her address and details about her daily routine.
Ian and Angela Diaz, left, were convicted of trying to frame Ian’s ex-fiancée, Michelle Hadley, right, of a twisted “rape fantasy” plot.(Orange County District Attorney’s Office/Facebook)
The investigation also uncovered a wider pattern of deception. Prosecutors said Angela Diaz had faked cervical cancer, pretended to be an attorney, forged doctors’ notes, fabricated a pregnancy and altered checks.
Angela Diaz pleaded guilty in October 2017 to charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment, forgery, perjury, grand theft and falsely reporting crimes. She was sentenced to five years in state prison.
4. Former deputy U.S. marshal was exposed as a co-conspirator
Ian Diaz insisted he knew nothing of Angela’s machinations, but a federal probe into Diaz launched in 2017 revealed that he masterminded the entire plot. He was indicted in 2021 and was relieved of his duties as a criminal investigator in Los Angeles.
A jury in the Central District of California convicted Ian of one count each of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstructing a federal proceeding.
Ian Diaz and Angela Connell Diaz impersonated Michelle Hadley and staged hoax sexual assaults to frame her, according to the Department of Justice.(COURTESY OF NETFLIX)
He was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison.
“Diaz’s egregious actions and lies to law enforcement stripped a woman of her freedom and liberty,” Special Agent in Charge Harry Lidsky of the Department of Justice’s cyber crimes unit previously said in a press release. “This kind of stalking, harassment and obstruction is unconscionable.”
Michelle Hadley addresses the media after being cleared of all charges in a complicated plot to frame her in Fullerton, California, Jan. 9, 2017. Hadley was arrested and charged last year for allegedly stalking her ex-boyfriend’s pregnant wife, Angela Diaz, and impersonating the woman in rape fantasy ads on Craigslist. The DA now says the woman who was claiming to be the victim, Angela Diaz, set the whole thing up to target Hadley.(Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
5. Hadley settled her federal lawsuit against city
Hadley later filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Anaheim, four city employees, Angela Diaz and Ian Diaz over the case that led to her arrest and imprisonment.
In an April 2021 court filing reviewed by News Media, Hadley’s attorneys said she and the Anaheim defendants had reached a settlement that was approved by the City Council on April 27. The agreement would result in the dismissal of her claims against the city and its employees.
The filing also said Hadley and Angela Diaz were finalizing a separate written agreement. It did not reveal the financial terms or other details of either settlement.
News Media has reached out to Hadley’s attorneys for comment.
