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A Navy sailor who pleaded guilty to strangling a 21-year-old fellow service member inside his barracks room was sentenced Wednesday to 44 years in prison, capping a case that raised questions about missed warning signs.
Petty Officer Jermiah Copeland received the sentence at a general court-martial after pleading guilty to unpremeditated murder and related charges in the death of Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) said Tuesday in a news release.
Copeland, who was previously assigned to the USS James E. Williams, will also receive a dishonorable discharge, forfeit all pay and allowances, be reduced in rank to Seaman Apprentice and be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
The sentencing comes days after Copeland admitted in court that he strangled Resendiz on May 29, 2025, inside his barracks room at Naval Station Norfolk. According to testimony cited by USNI News, Copeland said he killed Resendiz after the two had been drinking and she became upset over something she saw on his phone.
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Angelina Resendiz poses for a photo inside her barracks room while serving as a culinary specialist in the U.S. Navy. Her mother described her as ambitious and focused on advancing her military career before her death in 2025. (Courtesy of 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 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 Fox News Digital 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.
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“If they would have dealt with him when he started harming women, he would never have gotten to Angie,” Castle previously told Fox News Digital.
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 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.
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“I thanked him for telling the truth,” she told Fox News Digital following his guilty plea.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.