On Thursday, Navy officials discovered a body in a wooded area in Norfolk, Virginia, which has been confirmed as that of Navy Seaman Angelina Recendis, who has been missing.
Recendis, 21, was last seen on May 29 at her barracks in Miller Hall at the Norfolk Naval Base, according to reports from Virginia State Police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
“A Navy sailor has been placed in pretrial confinement related to the death of Seaman Recendis. Charges under the Uniform Military Justice Act are forthcoming,” NCIS announced in a statement on Thursday.
NCIS emphasized, “We’ve worked diligently with various federal and local law enforcement agencies to follow up on all leads since we became aware of Seaman Recendis’s disappearance.”
NCIS is dedicated to determining the facts surrounding Seaman Recendis’s tragic death, stating that they aim to ensure accountability and justice.
Local police previously expressed concern about Recendis’s disappearance, noting that her health was potentially at risk.
Castle Esmeralda, Recendis’s mother from her hometown in Texas, described her daughter as “loving” and “kind.” She mentioned that her daughter had not been responding to calls or texts from family.
Castle said, “She had this 400-day streak on Snapchat with my sister. She normally talks to family every day.” Recendis worked as a culinary specialist in the Navy.
According to reports, the 21-year-old didn’t own a vehicle and had stopped all communications since Thursday. “It’s really tough to tell people she’s missing,” Castle shared.
NCIS indicated that the investigation is ongoing, but said it would not be releasing further details at this moment.
