A US Navy sailor was sentenced to 44 years in jail for strangling his fellow service member, whose physique was later present in a wooded space of Virginia.
Petty Officer Jermiah Copeland pleaded responsible Tuesday in reference to the loss of life of Petty Officer Angelina Resendiz at a basic court-martial in Norfolk, Va., the Naval Prison Investigative Service (NCIS) introduced Tuesday.
“Petty Officer Copeland deserves to be held totally accountable for his heinous actions that resulted within the tragic homicide of Petty Officer Resendiz,” Particular Agent in Cost Emily Schmid mentioned.
Copeland advised investigators that Resendiz, 21, was in his barracks in Miller Corridor on Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, hanging out, consuming, and kissing on Might 29, 2025, when she obtained upset about one thing on his cellphone, in response to USNI Information.
He admitted that he jumped on high of Resendiz and strangled her when she “began freaking out” and he tried to quiet her down.
“I killed CS3 Resendiz on Might 29, 2025… I strangled her with my palms,” Copeland advised the choose on Monday, in response to the outlet.
Resendiz, 21, was final seen on Might 29 at her barracks in Miller Corridor round 10 p.m., NCIS mentioned.
Officers had questioned Copeland over Resendiz’s whereabouts on June 1, whereas her physique was inside his closet.
Copeland admitted that he lied to investigators and mentioned he had taken her again to her barracks.
Resendiz’s physique was found in a wooded space in Norfolk, about 10 miles off base, on June 9 — 12 days after her disappearance.
He then mentioned he dumped her physique inside a Navy-issued black wheeled duffel bag, in response to USNI Information.
“I knew individuals have been on the lookout for her and if she was present in my closet, I might be in hassle,” Copeland advised the courtroom.
Prosecutors offered cellphone information at a pre-trial listening to displaying Copeland’s watch tracked him descending stairs round 4 a.m. on June 2, the outlet reported.
His GPS additionally positioned him driving off base, and at 4:47 a.m. he dropped a Google Maps pin — and screenshotted it — close to the place Resendiz’s physique was later discovered.
An NCIS forensics group went to the placement of the pin, the place they in the end discovered Resendiz’s physique.
Underneath the plea deal, Copeland was discovered responsible of 5 of the seven costs in opposition to him — aggravated assault by strangulation, indecent recording, obstruction of justice and false official assertion — together with his premeditated homicide cost lowered to unpremeditated homicide.
Among the many costs, Copeland admitted to strangling one other lady aboard the USS Harry S. Truman on July 24, 2024, in addition to secretly recording a girl in a rest room stall and filming one other lady throughout intercourse with out her consent, USNI Information reported.
Along with his decades-long sentence, Copeland can even obtain a dishonorable discharge, forfeit all his pay, have his rank lowered to the bottom for a Navy enlisted — Seaman Apprentice — and can be required to register as a intercourse offender upon his launch.
The plea settlement additionally required Copeland to take a seat down face-to-face with Resendiz’s mom, Esmeralda Fortress, 13News Now reported.
Fortress mentioned the dialog was temporary — however she made certain Copeland knew that regardless of the devastation he induced, he may nonetheless work on changing into a greater individual.
“You continue to have life,” she recalled telling Copeland to 13News Now. “I’m sorry it’s going to be behind these partitions, however you continue to have life, and even behind these partitions, you possibly can nonetheless do good issues.”
Copeland will serve his sentence on the US Disciplinary Barracks in Leavenworth, Kansas.
