Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz, shown in this undated photo, was found dead June 9, 2025, in a wooded area about 10 miles from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. (Courtesy of Resendiz family)
NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. — A Navy sailor was sentenced Tuesday to more than 40 years in prison after being convicted of killing a fellow shipmate and dumping her body near a Virginia naval base last year.
A military judge sentenced Seaman Apprentice Jermiah Copeland to 44 years in confinement at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for the death of Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz in May 2025. The military court at Naval Station Norfolk credited him with one year of time served.
“I committed the worst betrayal possible. I will live with my actions every minute of every day,” Copeland said as he stood and faced Esmeralda Castle, the mother of Resendiz, before the sentence was announced.
In court, he admitted killing Resendiz by strangling her with both hands on the floor of his barracks room.
Copeland pleaded guilty on Monday to five offenses: unpremeditated murder, aggravated assault by strangulation, indecent recording, obstruction of justice and making a false official statement.
As part of a plea agreement, he will receive a dishonorable discharge, forfeit all pay and allowances and be reduced in rank to seaman apprentice. He must also register as a sex offender.
Esmeralda Castle, mother of slain Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz, speaks during a news conference at Naval Station Norfolk on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (Stephen M. Katz, The Virginian-Pilot/TNS)
Castle said the sentencing represented only part of the process and is not true justice.
“Today is just the completion. We’re still not done,” Castle said. “This isn’t justice. This is a process. Justice is when everyone is safe, and this doesn’t happen again.”
Castle said the Navy could have prevented the tragedy, arguing Copeland should not have been recruited given his history and that his previous commands should have intervened after allegations of sexual and violent offenses against other women.
“I think there should be more people in jail. Yes, he (Copeland) took the life, but the conditions were created by the leadership.”
The Navy has denied any wrongdoing in the response to Resendiz’s disappearance and death.
Resendiz, a 21-year-old culinary specialist assigned to the destroyer USS James E. Williams was first reported missing May 29, 2025. Court records show Copeland falsely told investigators he had dropped her off at her barracks and did not know where she was.
Prosecutor Lauren Mayo told the court that Copeland’s actions were “calculated” and “deliberate.”
“He has chosen this path,” Mayo said.
It wasn’t until June 3, 2025 — five days after Resendiz was last seen or in contact with family and friends — that a statewide missing adult alert was issued.
That lag occurred because the Navy initially considered her absent without official leave, a response that has drawn criticism from her family and congressional inquiries into the handling of her disappearance.
The initial handling has influenced how some of those who served with Resendiz view their continued service. Daniel Rich, Resendiz’s ex-boyfriend, said he medically retired from the Navy recently and that this tragedy will affect him for a very long time.
Twelve days after she was reported missing, Resendiz’s badly decomposed body was found inside a black duffel bag near a Broad Creek neighborhood on June 9, 2025. The bag was presented in court on Tuesday.
Copeland is the father of a 4-year-old boy. Members of his immediate and extended family attended the two-day proceedings this week.
In an emotional moment in the courtroom, Copeland’s grandmother, Kathleen Brown, spoke directly to Castle.
“We want you to know as a mother, a grandmother, we feel you. We are so absolutely sorry for you and your family,” Brown said.
A native of Washington state, Copeland joined the Navy in July 2023. He was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in December 2023, serving a little more than a year on the ship before being transferred to Williams in January 2025.
Dr. Jamie Dickson, a licensed forensic psychologist who evaluated Copeland, said Copeland experienced sexual and physical abuse as a child and exhibited disruptive behavior through middle school. She pointed out that he did not receive interventions or support services during that time.
Copeland also faces charges in two other cases linked to his time aboard Truman. He is accused of raping a fellow sailor in November 2024, and sexually assaulting and attempting to strangle another service member in July 2024.
In addition, he is facing rape charges in a case involving a civilian Norfolk woman in May 2025, just days before the disappearance and killing of Resendiz, court records show.
Copeland also faced allegations of sexual assault or misconduct before enlisting in the Navy.
Friends and fellow sailors described Resendiz as hardworking, caring and proud of her service, with a bright future ahead. She loved being a cook in the Navy and hoped one day to cook for the president and world leaders.
“She was gonna be the biggest boss,” said CS3 Edison Jeanjacques, a sailor who served with Resendiz aboard USS James E. Williams.
Stars and Stripes reporter Alison Bath contributed to this report.
