Jermiah Copeland, a 21-year-old culinary specialist in the U.S. Navy, was sentenced to 44 years in federal prison after admitting in a general court-martial that he fatally strangled fellow sailor Angelina Resendiz, assaulted a second woman, and secretly recorded a third. The two-day court proceeding began Monday, June 8, before a military judge at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.
The killing of Resendiz, a petty officer and native of Mexia, Texas, who also served as a culinary specialist, has drawn comparisons to the 2020 murder of Army soldier Vanessa Guillén, which prompted the military to overhaul its policies on sexual assault and harassment. Resendiz’s mother, Esmeralda Castle, has since called for reforms within the armed forces to better protect women serving in the military.
According to the U.S. Naval Institute, an independent watchdog, Resendiz was last seen alive in her barracks room at Naval Station Norfolk. Investigators found her body two weeks later in woods in Norfolk’s Broad Creek area, about 10 miles from the base. They came to suspect that Copeland had killed Resendiz in his room, concealed her body in his closet for days, and then discarded it in the woods.
Copeland told the court during his plea that he killed Resendiz after a night of drinking and kissing in his room, according to the Virginia news outlet WTKR. He said he wanted her to be quiet after a notification on his telephone upset her, used his hands to strangle her to death after she fell to the floor, and later brought her body to the woods. He acknowledged that he later lied to Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents by telling them he had brought her to her room alive.
In addition to the murder, Copeland pleaded guilty to aggravated assault by strangulation for compressing the neck of a second woman in July 2024 aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. He also pleaded guilty to indecent recording for illicitly filming a woman in a bathroom stall and for recording himself and a woman having sex without her knowledge.
Copeland declared himself guilty to charges of unpremeditated murder and making a false official statement in connection with Resendiz. Other charges were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea. The sentence includes 44 years at the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, a dishonorable discharge, a demotion in rank, forfeiture of pay, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Copeland apologized to his family, Resendiz’s family, and the Navy.
A forensic psychologist testified during sentencing that Copeland survived childhood sexual abuse and other trauma in his youth, according to court testimony. The psychologist said such experiences likely caused Copeland certain social problems throughout his life, but her examination did not determine whether those experiences drove him to kill Resendiz.
Copeland’s grandmother, Kathy Brown, testified Tuesday as part of the sentencing, the Virginia news outlet WVEC reported. Brown said her family loved Copeland but did not condone his admitted actions and believed he deserved to be held accountable.
Resendiz’s mother, Esmeralda Castle, has spoken to congressional representatives, state lawmakers, and national organizations about combating physical abuse and sexual assault in the military. In May, Castle unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for a Texas state house district, running on a platform of reforms aimed at keeping women in the military safe. Castle told ABC News that her campaign was “about people – about compassion, community, resilience and hope,” adding, “I have to help my kid.”