Norfolk, Virginia — A U.S. Navy sailor has been sentenced to 44 years in prison after admitting he strangled a fellow service member and later disposed of her body in a wooded area near Naval Station Norfolk, bringing a tragic chapter to a case that shocked military personnel and the local community.
The sentence was handed down after Petty Officer Jermiah Copeland pleaded guilty during a general court-martial in Norfolk.
The case centered on the death of Petty Officer Angelina Resendiz, a 21-year-old sailor whose disappearance prompted a widespread search before her body was ultimately discovered days later.
Sailor Admitted to Strangling Fellow Service Member
According to investigators, Resendiz was spending time with Copeland in his barracks room at Miller Hall on Naval Station Norfolk on May 29, 2025. Copeland later told authorities that the two had been drinking, talking, and kissing when an argument erupted after Resendiz became upset over something she saw on his phone.
During court proceedings, Copeland admitted that he became physical with Resendiz and strangled her.
“I killed CS3 Resendiz on May 29, 2025… I strangled her with my hands.”
Authorities said Resendiz was last seen alive around 10 p.m. on May 29 at her barracks. Her sudden disappearance triggered concern among family members, friends, and military officials.
Body Remained Hidden as Search Continued
Investigators revealed that when they first questioned Copeland about Resendiz’s whereabouts on June 1, he falsely claimed that he had taken her back to her barracks.
At the time, according to court testimony, Resendiz’s body was allegedly still hidden inside a closet in his room.
Copeland later admitted he lied because he feared the consequences if authorities discovered her body there.
“I knew people were looking for her and if she was found in my closet, I would be in trouble.”
Days later, he placed her body inside a Navy-issued wheeled duffel bag and transported it off base, prosecutors said.
GPS and Cell Phone Data Helped Crack the Case
A key piece of evidence came from digital records collected by investigators.
Prosecutors presented data showing Copeland’s watch recorded him moving around the barracks in the early morning hours of June 2. GPS records then placed him driving away from the naval base.
Investigators also discovered that he had dropped a Google Maps pin near a wooded location and saved a screenshot of it. That location later became a critical lead in the investigation.
An NCIS forensic team searched the area and found Resendiz’s body on June 9, approximately 10 miles from the naval station and nearly two weeks after she was last seen.
Additional Crimes Factored Into Sentencing
Under a plea agreement, Copeland was convicted on five charges, including unpremeditated murder, aggravated assault by strangulation, obstruction of justice, indecent recording, and making a false official statement.
The plea agreement also included admissions involving separate misconduct allegations. Prosecutors said Copeland acknowledged strangling another woman aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in 2024 and secretly recording women without their consent.
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Because of the agreement, a premeditated murder charge was reduced to unpremeditated murder.
Victim’s Mother Delivers Powerful Message
As part of the plea agreement, Copeland met face-to-face with Resendiz’s mother, Esmeralda Castle.
Despite the devastating loss of her daughter, Castle said she encouraged Copeland to use the life he still has to do something positive.
“You still have life. I’m sorry it’s going to be behind these walls, but you still have life, and even behind these walls, you can still do good things.”
In addition to his 44-year prison sentence, Copeland will receive a dishonorable discharge from the Navy, lose all pay and benefits, be reduced to the rank of Seaman Apprentice, and must register as a sex offender after his release.
He is expected to serve his sentence at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Leavenworth, Kansas.
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