A Navy cook has been charged with murder, rape and other violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in a case involving a sailor who was found dead in June in Norfolk, Virginia.
Culinary Specialist Jeremiah Copeland, formerly of Oak Harbor, Washington, has been in custody since Seaman Angelina Resendiz, 21, was discovered deceased in a wooded area roughly 10 miles from Naval Station Norfolk.
Resendiz, also a culinary specialist, was assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams. She was last seen on May 29; her body was found June 9.
According to the Navy’s preliminary hearing documents, Copeland faces charges involving at least six criminal acts, including murder; rape or sexual assault; sexual misconduct; wrongfully broadcasting or distributing intimate photographic data; making false official statements; and obstructing justice.
Washington state court records show that Copeland faced charges in 2022 as a juvenile before he joined the Navy. The Whidbey News-Times reported that Copeland was investigated by the Island County Sheriff’s Office for a misdemeanor of “disclosing intimate images.”
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