NORFOLK, Va. — The U.S. Navy says it is making changes to several policies and processes following a review of its response to the disappearance and murder of Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz.
In an Aug. 10 letter to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said the review found proper procedures were followed after Resendiz initially disappeared, but also identified several areas requiring "further review and improvement."
Those include how the Navy handles transfers of sailors accused of sexual assault and how families are informed about the condition of a service member's remains.
Resendiz disappeared in May 2025 while assigned to the USS James E. Williams in Norfolk. Her remains were found the following month in a wooded area in Norfolk's Broad Creek section.
Fellow sailor Jeremiah Copeland later admitted to killing her.
Navy explains response after Resendiz disappeared
The new letter lays out a timeline of the Navy's response beginning the morning Resendiz failed to report for duty.
Resendiz was not present for a 7:30 a.m. accountability muster aboard the USS James E. Williams on May 30, 2025.
She was initially placed in "Unauthorized Absence" status. Cao said that under Navy policy, a sailor who fails to report to work is considered voluntarily absent by default unless there are signs indicating otherwise.
Her command searched her barracks room about two hours after she was given that designation.
The following day, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service began investigating her absence as involuntary after receiving a tip from Norfolk police.
By June 1, leadership aboard the James E. Williams had notified its immediate superior that Resendiz's disappearance may have been involuntary. NCIS issued a "Be On The Lookout" alert and began contacting her mother daily.
A "Critical Missing Adult" alert was issued June 3. Two days later, the Navy changed Resendiz's status to "Duty Status – Whereabouts Unknown."
Transfer policy already revised
The Navy's review also examined policies surrounding sailors accused of sexual assault who are transferred between commands.
Copeland transferred from the USS Harry S. Truman to the USS James E. Williams in December 2024.
Cao said that transfer was approved at the request of the victim in a separate offense. The letter says the Navy is refining its policies for transferring sailors accused of sexual assault to strengthen oversight and notification requirements.
News 3 reported in July that the Navy had already revised its transfer policy following reviews conducted in the wake of Resendiz's murder.
Under that revision, sailors under investigation for allegations of sexual assault or stalking can only be transferred to shore commands.
"This revision was taken as a result of reviews by the Navy in the wake of the murder of Petty Officer 3rd Class Angelina Resendiz by a fellow Sailor," Navy spokesperson William Speaks told News 3 in July.
Copeland previously served aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, where one of the charges he later pleaded guilty to involved strangling another woman in July 2024. He also pleaded guilty to secretly recording a woman.
Navy acknowledges communication problem with family
The Aug. 10 letter also acknowledges an issue with how information about Resendiz's remains was communicated to her family.
After her remains were discovered, Navy Mortuary Affairs arranged to have them transported from Virginia to Texas.
Cao said Navy personnel informed the director of the receiving funeral home on June 16, 2025, that Resendiz's remains were "nonviewable."
But Cao said that information "was apparently not clearly communicated" to Resendiz's mother.
The Navy is now revising its policy to require the condition of remains to be directly communicated to both the receiving funeral home and the person authorized to direct the disposition of the remains.
Copeland pleaded guilty to Resendiz's murder
Copeland pleaded guilty in June to unpremeditated murder and four other charges.
During the court-martial, Copeland admitted Resendiz was in his barracks room on May 29, 2025, when he strangled her.
He also admitted lying to NCIS investigators about her whereabouts and later moving her body to a wooded area in Norfolk.
Copeland pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder, aggravated assault by strangulation, indecent recording, obstruction of justice and making a false official statement.
He was sentenced to 44 years of confinement and received a dishonorable discharge.
Resendiz's family has spent the past year pushing for changes within the military and greater protections for women in the armed forces.
Cao said the Navy intends to use the findings of its review to make broader improvements.
"The Navy continues to mourn the loss of CS3 Resendiz and will ensure to absorb lessons learned from this tragic incident, improve its processes, and continue to prioritize the welfare of our Sailors and Marines," Cao wrote.
Read the full letter below.
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