Overview
- Seaman Jermiah Copeland was sentenced to 44 years in confinement after a military judge accepted his guilty plea to unpremeditated murder and related offenses, a ruling handed down Tuesday following plea proceedings at Naval Station Norfolk.
- In court Copeland admitted he strangled Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz in his barracks on May 29, 2025, concealed her body in a suitcase and later left it in a wooded area about 10 miles from the base where NCIS agents found her remains.
- Under a plea agreement the court recorded Copeland’s guilt on five counts — unpremeditated murder, aggravated assault by strangulation, indecent recording, obstruction of justice and making a false official statement — while prosecutors withdrew other charges and the judge proceeded to sentencing.
- Court records and reporting show multiple earlier allegations against Copeland from 2022–2024 including alleged sexual assaults and attempted strangulation, and Resendiz’s family has criticized the Navy for classifying her as AWOL and delaying a statewide missing‑person alert.
- The sentence includes a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of pay, reduction in rank and required sex‑offender registration, and Resendiz’s family and advocacy groups say they will press Congress and Navy leadership for accountability and policy changes.