Navy Sailor Angelina Resendiz Found Dead After Disappearance from Barracks

The body of 21-year-old U.S. Navy Seaman Angelina Petra Resendiz, who vanished from her barracks at Virginia’s Naval Station Norfolk two weeks ago, was discovered in a wooded area and positively identified by the Norfolk Medical Examiner’s Office today.

A Texas native, Resendiz enlisted in the Navy in 2023, aiming to serve as a culinary specialist and joked about one day cooking for high-ranking officials. According to her mother, she was consistently engaged, texting friends and family daily, and her lack of contact on May 29 was deeply atypical.

Resendiz, assigned to the USS James E. Williams, went missing after leaving Miller Hall barracks in the evening and failed to report to work. When she didn’t respond to phone calls or use her debit card, the Virginia State Police issued a critical missing adult alert on June 3.

Responding to the fatal alert, a joint force of the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), Norfolk Police, Virginia State Police, and Search & Rescue units scoured the area. On June 9, NCIS located Resendiz’s body in an off-base wooded section near Broad Creek in Norfolk. The medical examiner began an autopsy; however, authorities have withheld details regarding the cause or manner of death to preserve the ongoing investigation.

According to CBS news, NCIS confirmed that another U.S. Navy sailor who resided in the same unit is now being held in pretrial confinement under charges to be prosecuted via the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The suspect’s identity and specific charges remain undisclosed for legal reasons, but NCIS stated they are pursuing “accountability and justice.”

Resendiz’s family described her as “loving, compassionate, and devoted,” and expressed deep distress after her sudden disappearance. Her mother, Esmerelda Castle, criticized the Navy’s apparent slow response to her absence, claiming she learned of her daughter’s disappearance through staff and media.

Castle stated, “Her colleagues, friends, and even authorities knew she was missing, but the response was minimal … This callousness led to her death, which cannot be tolerated.” She is now requesting a congressional investigation to address official communication failures.

The U.S. Navy’s Atlantic command issued a public statement today extending its condolences and confirming delivery of grief counseling and chaplain services through the chain of command and base resources. The Navy also directed inquiries regarding the death to NCIS, citing the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation.