Petty Officer Jermiah Copeland was sentenced to 44 years in federal prison Wednesday for the unpremeditated murder of Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz and related charges, including a dishonorable discharge and reduction in rank [1, 2]. Copeland also must forfeit pay and register as a sex offender [1, 2].
Copeland strangled 21-year-old Resendiz on May 29, 2025, inside his barracks room at Naval Station Norfolk [3, 2]. Resendiz, assigned to the USS James E. Williams and originally from Mexia, Texas, was last known alive in her bunk before her body was found about 10 miles away in a wooded area after a two-week search in June 2025 [1, 3, 2].
Copeland admitted to compressing the neck of another woman aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in July 2024 and illicitly recording a third woman privately both in a bathroom stall and during intimate moments [1, 3]. He told the court Resendiz became upset by something seen on his phone, prompting him to strangle her to keep her quiet [1, 3, 2].
Esmi Castle, Resendiz’s mother, said hearing Copeland’s admission brought her peace. "Now that I know, I don’t have to think about it anymore," she said. But she criticized the military for missing warning signs. "If they would have dealt with him when he started harming women, he would never have gotten to Angie," Castle added [3, 2].
NCIS Norfolk Special Agent in Charge Emily Schmid said, "Petty Officer Copeland deserves to be held fully accountable for his heinous actions that resulted in the tragic murder of Petty Officer Resendiz" [2].
Copeland pleaded guilty in military court on June 8, 2026, before receiving his sentence two days later at a general court-martial [1, 3, 2].
