A Navy sailor, Jermiah Copeland, pleaded guilty on June 5, 2026, to the unpremeditated murder of 21-year-old Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz. The incident occurred in his barracks room on May 29, 2025. Copeland admitted to strangling Resendiz during a court-martial, stating, "I killed CS3 Resendiz on May 29, 2025 ... I strangled her with my hands."
Resendiz's body was discovered in a wooded area near Naval Station Norfolk. The medical examiner had previously ruled her cause of death as undetermined. Under a plea agreement, Copeland faces a minimum of 40 years in prison, a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of pay, and a requirement to register as a sex offender.
Esmi Castle, Resendiz's mother, expressed that while the admission provided some closure, it raised concerns about the military's failure to address prior allegations against Copeland. Castle stated that there were multiple incidents involving other women before Resendiz's death, suggesting that earlier intervention could have prevented the tragedy.
Castle has since become an advocate for military sexual violence victims, emphasizing the need for reforms in the military justice system to better protect service members. She recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to push for changes that would allow survivors of military sexual assault to pursue claims in civilian courts. Despite her criticism of the military system, Castle expressed a desire for Copeland to use his time in prison to reflect and change.
