The sailor involved in the death of Angelina Resendiz is facing several charges, including murder and sexual assault. Additional victims are mentioned in the charging documents.
NORFOLK, Va. — During a military hearing on Thursday, a comprehensive list of charges was revealed against the sailor accused in the death of Norfolk sailor Angelina Resendiz. These include murder and sexual assault involving multiple women.
Resendiz, 21, disappeared from her Naval Station Norfolk barracks on May 29, 2025. Almost two weeks later, her body was discovered in a wooded region of Norfolk’s Broad Creek neighborhood, about 10 miles from the base. The chief medical examiner confirmed the cause and manner of her death remain undetermined.
According to a charge document obtained by 13News Now, Culinary Specialist Seaman Jermiah T. Copeland faces a murder charge related to Resendiz’s death. Copeland has been held in pre-trial confinement since June 10, the day after Resendiz was identified. During Thursday’s hearing, documents revealed charges that include sexual assault and misconduct involving at least three additional victims dating back to July 2024, domestic violence, and “wrongful broadcast or distribution of intimate visual images,” also known as revenge porn.
The documents conceal the victims’ names, but charges corresponding to the Resendiz case involve premeditated murder, making false statements, and obstruction of justice.
Known as an “Article 32 investigation,” the military hearing functions similarly to a preliminary hearing in the civilian judicial system. It is a pre-requisite before a case can proceed to a general court-martial, unless the accused opts to waive it.
Prosecutors outline timeline leading up to murder
At Thursday’s hearing, the trial counsel outlined a timeline walkthrough of how they believe Resendiz was killed:
According to prosecutors, on the evening of May 28, Resendiz met up with Copeland at his barracks. That night, one of Resendiz’s friends received a cryptic text message from her. Then, at 2:14 in the morning, Resendiz made a panicked call to a male friend, saying she needed to be picked up. The phone was then handed to Copeland, who claimed Resendiz was fine, but Resendiz continued pleading to be picked up. The friend reportedly said he would arrive to get her within the next 10 minutes, but when he arrived, he was unable to find Resendiz.
Trial counsel said health data taken from Resendiz’s Apple Watch indicated her heart was elevated at around 128 bpm and then shot up to 130 bpm at around 3 a.m. Her phone died just before 5 a.m. on the 29th.
Later that morning, prosecutors said Copeland was seen by his roommates, undressed in his room with a woman in his bed, wrapped up in a blanket with her feet sticking out, and Copeland lying with his head on her stomach. Then, on June 1, Copeland allegedly asked to borrow his friend’s Jeep and was seen driving down Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk. Cell phone data reportedly showed he used his phone to look up a wooded area, pinned it, turned his phone onto airplane mode, drove to the neighborhood where the pin was, walked out to the wooded area, and got back in his car. He then drove to a McDonald’s before returning to the barracks.
Trial counsel said Resendiz’s body was found inside a black duffel bag at the location that had been pinned on Copeland’s phone. Traces of Resendiz’s blood were also reportedly found in the stairwell of Copeland’s barracks, in Copeland’s closet, and in duffel bag wheel marks that were dragged from Copeland’s room and through the common space.
At Thursday’s hearing, trial counsel stated that it is believed Resendiz was killed in the barracks and was left on the floor until June 1. They claim Copeland killed her after the 2 a.m. call and used her body as a prop in the morning.
Defense still to give response
The hearing official at Thursday’s Article 32 investigation asked trial counsel about the premeditated murder charges, as well as a chief who said they saw Resendiz on the morning of the 29th. The trial counsel replied, saying the chief only briefly checked on Resendiz and Copeland together, and per the charges, her death was premeditated because Copeland thought he wouldn’t be able to take any more charges since he was facing investigations in at least two other cases.
All told, the trial counsel submitted 55 articles of evidence at the hearing.
Copeland’s defense did not issue any response to the charges or present arguments on Thursday. The trial counsel has 24 hours to submit comments or any other statements, and the defense has until September 23 to submit any response.
‘What is it going to take?’
Resendiz served aboard the USS James E. Williams. Her mother, Esmeralda Castle, has criticized the Navy for what she said were oversights and a lack of communication during the investigation, which she said delayed justice and put her daughter at risk.
In a Sept. 2 letter responding to inquiries from Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said the Navy acted in accordance with law and policy and that NCIS continues to investigate.
After Thursday’s hearing, Castle spoke with reporters, expressing her dismay that Copeland was facing sexual assault accusations before her daughter was murdered.
“I just know this cannot keep happening,” Castle said. “Where are we falling through the cracks? Where is it? …. you have a person who entered the military who already had a history [of] sexual misconduct. And it just escalated all the way to the point where he took somebody’s life.”
Castle went on to say, “What is it going to take? How many more people? How many more lives? How many more women, how many more men? How much more tragedy do we need before we all just take a look and say, ‘Hey, something is not right.'”
“We are all together in this,” she concluded. “And change starts with everyone who is involved. That’s the family, that’s veterans, that’s active duty.”
