A U.S. Navy sailor has admitted to strangling a fellow service member, closing a grim chapter in a case that the victims mother insists the military could and should have stopped long before it turned deadly.
Culinary Specialist 3rd Class (CS3) Jeremiah Copeland entered a guilty plea Monday to the unpremeditated murder of CS3 Angelina Resendiz during a general court-martial, with investigators alleging he killed his shipmate in the barracks after the two had served together aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams, according to the Daily Caller. I killed CS3 Resendiz on May 29, 2025 I strangled her with my hands, Copeland told the military judge, a stark admission that underscored the brutality of the crime.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Copeland also acknowledged a series of additional offenses, pleading guilty to making a false official statement in connection with Resendizs death, assaulting another victim by strangulation and indecently recording a separate individual. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges he chose to contest, a move likely to raise questions among those who believe the military justice system has been too lenient in handling violent offenders within the ranks.
Copeland now faces a minimum of 40 years and two months of confinement at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, a sentence that also includes a dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of pay. He will be reduced in rank to seaman apprentice and must register as a sex offender, ensuring his record follows him long after his release.
Court records reveal that Copeland had already been the subject of serious allegations before Resendizs killing, including an accusation that he raped a sailor aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in November 2024. In July 2024, he allegedly sexually assaulted another service member and attempted to strangle her, and a separate rape charge involving a Norfolk civilian was filed in May 2025, just days before Resendiz disappeared.
The victims mother, Esmi Castle, expressed a measure of relief at Copelands admission while sharply criticizing Navy leadership for failing to act decisively on earlier complaints. This situation was absolutely preventable, she said ahead of the trial, arguing that leaders in the Navy should be facing criminal charges or be removed from service.
If they would have dealt with him when he started harming women, he would never have gotten to Angie, Castle said, according to Fox News Digital, voicing a concern many conservatives share about bureaucratic inertia and misplaced priorities inside the Pentagon. Castle said she spoke with Copeland after his plea and still hopes he chooses a different path, stating, He still can choose better.
The Navy has rejected any suggestion that it mishandled the case, insisting its procedures were followed even as critics question whether a culture of accountability truly exists for violent offenders in uniform. Castle, who also took the witness stand, testified that she refuses to let bitterness or hatred rule her life, a stance that highlights both her personal faith and the broader demand for a military that protects its own rather than allowing known predators to remain in service.
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