NORFOLK, Va. — The sailor accused in the death of Angelina Resendiz will face a preliminary hearing on Thursday at Naval Station Norfolk.
Media have been invited to the Article 32 hearing — which is a pre-trial hearing in the Uniform Code of Military Justice — to determine whether the case can go to trial.
Norfolk
TIMELINE: Everything we know about the death of Angelina Resendiz
Last week, Jermiah Copeland, a culinary specialist assigned to the Norfolk-based USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), the same role and assignment as Resendiz, was identified in a filing document obtained by WTKR News 3. He has not been named publicly by Navy officials.
Court filings also state a J. Copeland is charged with premeditated murder, according to a specification of charges sheet, in connection with the death of another sailor referred to as “A.R.” The sheet states that Copeland is accused of committing the murder while on active duty at or near Norfolk on or about May 29 – the date Navy officials say Resendiz was last seen.
Watch related: Resendiz's mothers says her daughter's death was 'swept under the rug'
Resendiz, 21 at the time of her death, was last seen at her barracks at Naval Station Norfolk the morning of May 29. Nearly two weeks later, her body was recovered in the woods behind a Norfolk elementary school. It’s unclear how she died, as the medical examiner’s office recently concluded that both her cause and manner of death are undetermined.
Resendiz’s mother, Esmeralda Castle, has been a vocal critic of the Navy’s handling of the case. She accuses Navy officials of giving her false hope that her daughter was still alive during her disappearance – including allegedly telling her that Resendiz was “sleeping in her room” while she was missing.
The hearing will take place at 11:30 a.m. at Naval Station Norfolk. WTKR plans to have a crew present and, if possible, stream the hearing online.
