‘It can’t happen again’: Sailor charged with murder of Angelina Resendiz awaits pretrial
Seaman Jermiah Copeland has been charged with the premeditated murder of Angelina Resendiz
MEXIA, Texas (KWTX) - According to a document provided by Angelina Resendiz’s mom, Esmeralda Castle, Navy Seaman Jermiah Copeland is charged with Resendiz’s premeditated murder.
“I feel like I’ve been through a hundred stages of grief,” Resendiz’s friend Ella Sumrall said.
Seaman Copeland has been held in pretrial confinement since June. He’s being charged, among other things, in violation of Article 118, the article for murder. His pretrial is set for Sept. 18.
“We’re getting closer to the day,” Castle said. “Next week is when I fly out, and it started to feel like ‘Do I really wanna know what happened to my- you know.’”
U.S Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) filed an amendment to the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment would require the Department of Defense to meet standards when handling missing persons cases.
Rep. Gonzalez posted on X that the amendment was intended to bring accountability for Resendiz’s cases.
“It can’t happen again,” Castle said. “And that’s where my closure is. When it won’t happen again.”
Castle plans to attend the pretrial hearing on Sept. 18.
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