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HomeUSNavy Sailor Receives 44-Year Sentence for Strangling Fellow Servicemember in Virginia Barracks

Navy Sailor Receives 44-Year Sentence for Strangling Fellow Servicemember in Virginia Barracks

NewsFinale Journal
By NewsFinale Journal
82

A Navy sailor has been sentenced to 44 years in prison for the strangulation of a 21-year-old fellow service member in his barracks room, concluding a case that highlighted overlooked warning signs.

Petty Officer Jermiah Copeland received the sentence during a general court-martial after admitting guilt to charges of unpremeditated murder and other related offenses in the killing of Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) announced in a news release on Tuesday.

In addition to his prison term, Copeland, formerly stationed on the USS James E. Williams, will face a dishonorable discharge, lose all pay and allowances, be demoted to the rank of Seaman Apprentice, and must register as a sex offender upon his release.

The sentencing was delivered shortly after Copeland confessed in court to strangling Resendiz on May 29, 2025, in his barracks room at Naval Station Norfolk. According to testimony reported by USNI News, Copeland claimed the incident occurred after a night of drinking when Resendiz became upset over something she discovered on his phone.

Angelina Resendiz, a dedicated culinary specialist in the U.S. Navy, is remembered for her ambition and commitment to advancing her military career before her tragic death in 2025, as shared by her mother, Esmi Castle.

Resendiz’s disappearance triggered a 10-day search led by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Investigators ultimately recovered her remains in a wooded area near Norfolk and arrested Copeland.

“Petty Officer Copeland deserves to be held fully accountable for his heinous actions that resulted in the tragic murder of Petty Officer Resendiz,” NCIS Norfolk Special Agent in Charge Emily Schmid said in a statement Wednesday.

An aerial view of Naval Station Norfolk and surrounding waterways in Virginia.

An aerial view of Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, where Angelina Resendiz and Jermiah Copeland were stationed at the time of her death. (Reuters)

The case drew broader scrutiny from Resendiz’s mother, Esmi Castle, who told News Media she believes military leaders missed opportunities to intervene before her daughter’s death. Castle has argued that prior allegations involving Copeland and other women should have prompted stronger action.

“If they would have dealt with him when he started harming women, he would never have gotten to Angie,” Castle previously told News Media.

A group of military families and advocates stand near the U.S. Capitol holding a banner that reads

Esmi Castle (center, pink jacket), the mother of slain Navy sailor Angelina Resendiz, joins military families and advocates in Washington, D.C., to push for reforms addressing sexual violence and accountability within the armed forces. (Courtesy of Esmi Castle)

Before her death, Resendiz was working to advance her career as a Navy culinary specialist and hoped to one day cook for presidents and world leaders, according to her mother.

Angelina Resendiz takes a mirror selfie while wearing a white culinary uniform inside her barracks room.

Angelina Resendiz wears her culinary specialist uniform in a photo provided by her family. Castle said her daughter aspired to join the Navy’s elite culinary competition team and eventually cook for world leaders. (Courtesy of Esmi Castle)

Despite criticizing the military’s handling of the case, Castle said she found some measure of closure after hearing Copeland admit responsibility for the killing.

“I thanked him for telling the truth,” she told News Media following his guilty plea.

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