Sailor Pleads Guilty to Killing Angelina Resendiz
The hearing could finalize a plea deal that calls for at least 40 years in confinement and leaves other assault charges unresolved.
- On Monday, Seaman Jermiah Copeland began a two-day plea hearing at Naval Station Norfolk, admitting to killing Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz in May 2025.
- Copeland admitted to strangling Resendiz in his barracks room, concealing her body in a suitcase before disposing of it in a wooded Broad Creek area where she was found June 9, 2025.
- Under the plea agreement, Copeland faces at least 40 years and 2 months of confinement at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, a dishonorable discharge, and must register as a sex offender.
- Esmeralda Castle, Resendiz's mother, criticized the Navy's handling of her daughter's disappearance and questioned why Copeland remained in service despite prior allegations, drawing comparisons to Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen's 2020 death.
- A military judge is conducting a providency inquiry to determine whether Copeland's plea is voluntary; if rejected, the case would return to trial rather than proceed to sentencing.
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16 Articles
Military Times
Navy TimesSailor sentenced to 44 years in prison for murder of Angelina Resendiz
A U.S. sailor who killed a fellow service member will spend 44 years behind bars after pleading guilty at a general court-martial, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service announced Tuesday.Culinary Specialist Seaman Petty Officer Jermiah Copeland admitted Monday to the unpremeditated murder of Culinary Specialist Seaman Angelina Petra Resendiz, whom he strangled to death in a barracks building after a disagreement. The verdict for his prison se…
Navy sailor admits killing fellow service member as mother questions missed warning signs – Democratic Accent
A Navy sailor admitted Monday to strangling fellow sailor, 21-year-old Angelina Resendiz, inside his barracks room last year, bringing what her mother described as “peace of mind” while renewing questions from Resendiz’s family and advocates about whether military leaders missed opportunities to intervene before the killing. Esmi Castle, whose daughter was found dead in a wooded area in Norfolk, about 10 miles from Naval Station Norfolk in June …
Navy sailor admits killing fellow service member as mother questions missed warning signs
Navy sailor Jeremiah Copeland pleaded guilty to strangling 21-year-old Angelina Resendiz in his barracks room. He faces a minimum of 40 years in prison under the plea agreement.
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