Sailor shot and killed on PCU ship, Copeland sentencing, U.S. helicopter crash: Sunrise Brief

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Top stories: Copeland sentencing, sailor shot and killed on PCU ship, U.S. helicopter crash

1. Jermiah Copeland, the sailor accused of killing Petty Officer Angelina Resendiz, pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder Monday morning and will be sentenced on Tuesday.

   Jermiah Copeland pleads guilty to murder of Angelina Resendiz at Naval Station Norfolk

   Copeland admitted that he strangled the fellow sailor to death in his barracks during a night of drinking. He admitted he lied to NCIS investigators when initially interviewed about her whereabouts; he told them he brought her back to her room. He also admitted in court he brought her body to a wooded area in the Broad Creek section of Norfolk on June 2, 2025. Her body was discovered a week later.

   According to the plea deal holding statement, Copeland was guilty of five of the seven charges held against him: guilty of aggravated assault strangulation, indecent recording, obstruction of justice, false official statement, and his premeditated murder charge was reduced to an unpremeditated murder charge. Copeland also pleaded guilty to strangling another woman on the USS Harry S. Truman on July 24, 2024, as well as other offenses.

   Copeland will be sentenced to no less than 40 years and two months at Leavenworth Federal Prison in Kansas. He will also receive a dishonorable discharge and reduction of rank. When court resumes on Tuesday, we expect to hear from witnesses on the defense side and after that, the judge is set to impose a sentence.
   

2. A sailor on board the future USS John F. Kennedy, which currently sits at Newport News Shipbuilding before its commissioning, was shot and killed on Saturday morning.

   Piecing together what we know following Sailor's death on JFK Aircraft Carrier

   Another sailor is being held in pretrial confinement, though no charges have been filed while the investigation continues. The incident on Saturday resulted in the death of Boatswain's Mate Seaman Jesse Braswell, according to a Navy official. Crews responded to the scene at around 5:16 a.m.

   Records show Braswell joined the Navy in 2024 after living in Colorado. He was assigned to the future USS John F. Kennedy in March 2025. "Our deepest condolences are with the Seaman Braswell's family, friends and shipmates. Chaplain and counseling services are available on board and throughout the region for those affected," a Navy spokesperson said.

   The PCU John F. Kennedy is currently undergoing construction at Newport News Shipbuilding, which is expected to be completed next year. NCIS is continuing to investigate the shooting.
   

3. A U.S. Army helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, and President Donald Trump said the two crew members aboard were not injured in the incident, AP reports.

   What caused the crash remained unclear Tuesday morning. Trump, speaking to journalists at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after watching the NBA Finals on Monday night, acknowledged the crash. “The pilots are fine. Yeah,” Trump said. “Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine.” The U.S. military’s Central Command and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

   Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning, a White House official confirmed to CBS News. It was the second phone call in two days between the U.S. and Israeli leaders, as Trump urged Iran and Israel to halt their exchange of fire over the weekend. Early Monday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the two countries "must immediately stop 'shooting.'"

   In an interview with Axios, Trump said he informed Netanyahu that several countries in the region wanted Israel to halt its strikes on Iran, and that Iran  — which had launched missiles at Israel — "called us and said that they are not doing any more attacks and asked us to tell Israel not to do any more attacks." Both countries said later Monday they had halted their military operations.
   

This morning's weather: Nice today, Building heat & humidity

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a cooler start this morning with temperatures in the 50s. A step warmer today with highs in the low 80s, near normal for this time of year. We will see a mix of sun and clouds today and not as windy as yesterday.

The heat and humidity return for the second half of the week. Highs will reach the upper 80s on Wednesday and the mid 90s for Thursday and Friday. Afternoon heat index values will climb to the triple digits for Thursday and Friday. We will see partly cloudy skies with a chance for a scattered shower/storm each day.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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