Published Jun 1, 2026, 9:06 AM EDT
Navy Seaman's Murder Case Nears Plea Hearing Following AWOL Decision
The sailor accused of killing Navy Seaman Angelina Resendiz faces a crucial two-day hearing next week as her family continues to demand answers.
A sailor accused in the killing of Navy Seaman Angelina Resendiz is scheduled to appear in military court next week as her family continues pushing for answers about why the 21-year-old was marked absent without leave after friends raised concerns that she was missing. Jermiah Copeland, who served with Resendiz as a culinary specialist aboard the destroyer USS James E. Williams, is scheduled for a two-day hearing June 8 and 9, according to MySA, a San Antonio local news outlet. He had previously been set to face a two-week trial on charges including premeditated murder, sexual assault, aggravated assault, sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice. The hearing comes a little more than a year after Resendiz disappeared from Norfolk, Va., on May 29, 2025. Her remains were found June 9, 2025, in a wooded area near an elementary school in Norfolk. Military.com reached out for comment to the Navy on the upcoming hearing, the AWOL decision, and whether the service has reviewed how Resendiz’s command handled her disappearance.
