Credit: Netflix

A Toxic Love Story is that Netflix true crime documentary that’s bound to make you ask: who is the real victim and the villain?

Released on July 22nd, the Netflix original documentary, directed by Alexandra Lacey, sheds light on one of the most shocking miscarriages of justice through the unsettling true story of former US Deputy Marshal Ian Diaz, his wife Angela, and his ex-fiancée, Michelle Hadley.

After facing accusations of scheming a violent “rape fantasy” harassment plot for Diaz and his new wife, Hadley was wrongly put behind bars in 2016 for 88 days. However, as the digital investigation progressed and authorities dug deeper into the paper trail, what they discovered was one of the most twisted webs of misdirection, powered by a string of fake online identities and fabricated evidence.

While you’re probably wondering what Diaz, the subject of A Toxic Love Story, did and where he is now, well, let’s start right at the beginning.

Diaz is a former US Deputy Marshal based in Southern California who was engaged to Michelle. But after they broke off the relationship, he met and eventually married Angela in 2016. When the news about the trio first captured media attention, the newlyweds presented themselves as victims of Michelle’s alleged never-ending stalking campaign while convincing the world that Hadley was one of those obsessive exes.

But as authorities progressed with the investigation, Diaz turned out to be one of the main culprits in the unbelievable ordeal. It turns out Diaz and Angela plotted a years-long fraudulent digital attack to malign Michelle and destroy her life and reputation. Firstly, they created several fake email addresses and burner accounts, posing as Michelle. Then they sent violent, life-threatening messages to themselves in an attempt to build a paper trail for the authorities.

The most terrifying part of their orchestration was that they allegedly shared ads on Craigslist, inviting strangers to Angela’s home to take part in a violent sexual fantasy, further claiming that Angela was “playing along.”

Although the fake paper trail led to Michelle’s arrest, when digital investigators traced the IP addresses back to Ian and Angela’s devices, the ultimate breakthrough came when it was discovered that Michelle had been innocent all along.

Diaz was convicted of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstruction of justice in federal court in 2023, resulting in a 10-year and one-month sentence in federal prison. While he filed an appeal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his arguments in January 2025. Currently, Ian Diaz is serving his 10-year-sentence in federal prison.