US Navy Petty Officer Sentenced for Murder

Jeremiah Copeland, a US Navy Petty Officer, received a 44-year prison sentence last year for strangling a fellow service member, Angelina Resendiz, a 21-year-old culinary specialist, in a barracks room in Virginia.

On Wednesday, Copeland pleaded guilty to premeditated murder and additional charges linked to her death and was sentenced by a general court martial, as reported.

Previously assigned to the USS James E. Williams, Copeland will also face a dishonorable discharge, lose all pay and benefits, be demoted to seafaring apprentice, and be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.

His sentencing followed a court admission on May 29, 2025, where he acknowledged strangling Resendiz after a night of drinking that escalated when she reacted angrily to something on her phone. Testimonies shared that he killed her in a barracks room at Naval Base Norfolk.

After a 10-day search, investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service found Resendiz’s body in a wooded area near Norfolk, leading to Copeland’s arrest.

Emily Schmidt, NCIS Norfolk Special Agent in Charge, stated, “Private Sergeant Copeland must take full responsibility for his heinous actions that resulted in the tragic murder of Sergeant Rezendiz.”

Esme Castle, Resendiz’s mother, expressed her belief that military officials had missed chances to intervene before her daughter’s death. She pointed out that Copeland had previous allegations made against him by other women and felt he should have faced stricter consequences.

“If they had taken action when he started harming women, he would never have gotten close to Angie,” she said.

Castle noted that her daughter aspired to a career in the Navy as a culinary specialist, hoping to cook for world leaders one day.

While she had concerns about the case, she felt a sense of closure when Copeland admitted to the murder, stating, “I thanked him for telling the truth,” after his guilty plea.