← True Crime with Kendall Rae
True Crime with Kendall Rae
She Served Her Country & They Failed Her: Justice for Angelina Resendiz
00:55:37
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Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank you so much for joining me today and if you're new to the show, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you here and I also just wanted to say thank you to all of you who choose to join me for a bit of time every week. I know there is a lot of content these days on the Internet to watch and listen to and it's not lost on me how nice it is that you choose to, yeah, spend a little time with me. But anyway you guys, today I have a really tough case, a very recent case. This just occurred in May of 2025 and we're going to be talking about Angelina Resendiz. Now there's still a lot that we don't know when it comes to this case. There is a lot of information that's being withheld. We are dealing with the Navy, so there's a lot of discussion we have to have about that and I honestly don't know much about the Navy. I don't know anyone who has served in the Navy. And it's a completely, you know, different type of world to me. So I had to learn a lot about it for this case. And you know, I have a lot of respect for Angelina, for her service and for people who serve. And I'm also just really sad and disappointed in the way that this was handled and how horrible it has been for her family. It's really a case that should be talked about more. So I'm glad that we're going to be doing that today. Real quick before we jump into the case though, I have a bit of housekeeping first. I have an announcement, an exciting announcement. I'm going to be at my first Crime Con, which I really have not done many conventions or meet and greets or anything like that. And Crime Con is coming to Denver this year and I live in Colorado, if you didn't know. So I am going to be there. I will be doing a meet and greet on Saturday, September 6th from 1:40 to 3:40 and then we will also have a Mile Higher and Higher Hope booth at the exhibit hall. All three days we'll be popping in and out there and then there'll be members of our team there throughout the weekend. So if you're in Colorado or you want to come to CrimeCon and you haven't gotten your badge yet, you can use the code milehire and get 10% off standard badges. I'll have a link in the show notes or description box of this episode if you're interested in learning more and coming. But anyway, let's go ahead and get into Angelina's case and as always, I want to start out by telling you what I know about her. So going I'm so the very beautiful Angelina Petra Resendez, or Angie as she liked to be called, was born on October 31, Halloween 2003 to her mother, Esmeralda Castle in Harlingen, Texas. And she had one brother, Juan and three sisters, Jasmine, Sophia and Aurora. And let me just say, from what I've read about her, anyone who had the privilege of knowing Angelina Jess was so incredibly lucky. I really loved the way one of her teachers described her. She described her as a lot like a flower closed off in the beginning, but in time she blossomed into a beautiful and full of life type of person. It was her art teacher at Mexia High School who said that about her and I don't have all the details, but I did learn that there was a two year period in High school, when Angie actually went and lived with her. And it was in that time that Audrey, her teacher, said that she really got to see Angie's strength. She said that she was bold, independent, sometimes a little strong headed, and was always someone who worked hard and took care of the people that she loved. And I also read multiple times that Angel Angie was someone who loved very deeply, that if Angie was in your corner, she was someone who was always going to be there for you and back you up, no matter what. She's described as warm. It's said that her laughter filled every room she entered, and her spirit was both contagious and unforgettable. And I think the strongest characteristic about her is that Angie was just unwavering in her passion for helping other people. And I think that's ultimately why she decided to join the Navy. She was incredibly selfless, and she had some family members who served in the military as well. So when she graduated from high school in 2023, that's the path that she decided to take. And she ended up getting stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, which actually happens to be the largest naval base in the world. And like I said at the start of this episode, she was a culinary specialist. And she had told her mom that one day she wanted to be able to cook for whoever was president, as well as other world leaders. And if Angie was given the chance, her mom thinks that's absolutely something that she would have been able to achieve. And just from the little I know about her, I completely agree. Angie seemed to just work so hard in everything that she did. She was so passionate and driven. And it was to the point where her mom said that she was sometimes scared to even miss work. I mean, you can just tell by looking at her that she was proud of her service and that she loved what she did. I think it's written all over her face. Have you ever experienced an intrusive thought? Probably, because most people do. Whether it's a disturbing image that just pops out of nowhere, a violent urge that horrifies you, or a thought about harming someone you love. And the truth is, intrusive thoughts like this can happen to almost everyone. But for people with ocd, they don't just pass by. They stick. And they cause intense distress, which drives people to do repetitive mental or physical actions in an attempt to feel safe or okay. When you have ocd, you might spend hours analyzing what an unwanted thought could mean, desperately trying to prove to yourself that you're not a bad person. You. You might feel the urge to Confess every little thing, seek reassurance from friends and family, or replay memories over and over to feel more certain that you didn't actually do something terrible. But no matter what you try, the distress always returns, often stronger than before. OCD is misunderstood and it can be debilitating. People often suffer for years, even decades without realizing they have it. But it's also highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. Specialized therapy, standard talk therapy won't cut it, but exposure and response prevention therapy or ERP is highly effective. And that's why I'm telling you about nocd. They're the world's leading provider of OCD treatment and of their licensed therapists are trained in erp and they will never judge you for any frightening thought you've had. Therapy with no CD is 100% virtual. They even offer between session support so that you never feel alone. And they accept insurance for over 155 million Americans. If any of this sounds familiar, visit nocd.com and book a free 15 minute call to see how they can help. That's nocd.com even with the Navy's flaws, which Angie was definitely aware of during her time, she did love what she was doing, which is why it was so shocking to everyone when on May 30, 2025, she failed to report for duty. And right off the bat, I just want to explain that when it comes to the timeline of events here, there are some discrepancies because we have what the Navy says and then we have what her mom believes, which are different. And I guess just bear with me while I try to break down everything and I'll do my best to explain it from both sides. And also before we go any further, I think it's really important context for you to know that Angie was someone who always kept in contact with her family regularly, whether it was her siblings or her mom or even her aunt, you name it, she was always just in touch with somebody in the family. She even had a 400 day Snapchat streak with a family member, which I think just really speaks to that. But anyway, according to her mother, Esmeralda, Thursday May 29 was the day that her daughter stopped having any communication with anyone. And part of the reason that she knew that was because at 8:13pm that night, she got a call from one of Angie's friends in the Navy saying that Angie had called him looking to be picked up. Now, I'm not sure where she was, but he said that she had told him that she needed a ride. However, when he went to go get her, he told her mom that she wasn't actually there. And so he tells her, Esmeralda, that she should call the quarter deck, which again, I'm not an expert when it comes to the Navy, but I believe it's just where she would be able to get in touch with Angie's commander. And so, of course, that's what she does. She calls the quarter deck and she gets in touch with a guy named Chief Anderson, and she asks him what's going on with her daughter. And he basically tells her, oh, don't worry about it, we know where she is. She was just in another room. Anything you heard was overly dramaticized. It's all good, more or less. So she says, all right, well, can you please have her call me? And Angie never calls. And she also doesn't answer her phone when her mom tries to call it directly. Now, as for the Navy, here is what they say happened that Thursday, May 29. According to them, that day Angie was on authorized liberty, which means that she had no assigned duties and wasn't required to muster with her chain of command on the USS James E. Williams, which is the ship that she was stationed on. Now, in non naval language, that just means she was free to come and go, free to do whatever she wanted. She didn't have work that day. She was basically off. And like her mom said, the Navy agrees that Angie had reached out to someone that morning asking for a ride. But when that person showed up, she wasn't there. And to my knowledge, this person was her petty officer. And ultimately, when they came to get her and she wasn't there, the Naval station nor based police ended up conducting a wellness check in her barracks. They say this happened at 5:45am on that Thursday the 29th. But Angie wasn't there. They did end up finding her, or that's what they say, at 10am in the barracks of another sailor. And so as we know, Esmeralda called the quarter deck later that evening. And I believe this is what the Chief was referencing when he said, we found her in another room. The problem with that though, is they saw her in this other person's room hours ago at that point. So to my understanding, they led her mom to believe that she had just been recently seen. So then Friday the 30th rolls around and now there is a serious problem because Angie is no longer on authorized leave and she's supposed to report back to the ship at 7:30am on that Friday morning, and she fails to do so, which is Very concerning and very out of character for her. Now, this is when the Navy says that they listed her on the ship's absentee report. But to my understanding, and this is important, and we will circle back to this later on, no formal investigation was kicked off at this point, at least not yet. They basically just listed her as awol, which just means absent without leave. And I guess they were just hoping that she showed up again on Monday. And her mom says that she actually called back that day, that Friday, and spoke to another chief and he told her that her daughter didn't report to work. And then she learned something even more concerning, and it was that the sailor that she was reported to have been seen with also did not show up for work on that Friday. And as a reminder, Angie was seen with this sailor on the Thursday before the day prior. But again, to my understanding, still nothing was done about this. And the Navy says that another wellness check was performed at 9:30am that day, both in Angie's barracks and this other sailors, but neither were located. So you would hope that now with two missing sailors, that someone is going to do something, right? Like, clearly there is something very wrong here, but wrong. It wasn't until Angie's friends reported her missing to the Norfolk Police Department on Saturday the 31st, that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, or NCIS, was alerted. This was totally out of character for Angie. And anyone who knew her would tell you that not showing up for work and not responding to texts or calls was just a massive red flag. I mean, like I said earlier, Angie was literally scared to miss work. So to now have missed a full day of work without any explanation, it just doesn't add up. But even with NCIS knowing that she was missing on the 31st, a critically missing adult alert wasn't issued until June 3rd, days later. And what's worse is that the person who she was seen with on Thursday, the one who also didn't show up on Friday either, well, he did show up up for work on Monday. Yet Tuesday is when they start ringing the alarm bells. And when NCIS did issue that alert, they said that they believed that she could be in danger. So if that's the case, then what's up with this delay? The urgency did not seem to be there for the Navy, based off what we know, but obviously it was there immediately for her mom. She flew out to Virginia that Thursday and was determined to do anything that she could to help look for her daughter. And to add to the panic and confusion that she was experiencing. Esmeralda said that nobody would tell her anything when she arrived. The only thing that they would tell her is that they were investigating her daughter's disappearance. That was it. Imagine having only that as your information when your child is missing. And I can't say I really know that much about their investigative efforts because they really haven't shared barely anything, which is incredibly frustrating. But what I do know is that according to the Navy, they were, quote, working closely with law enforcement to locate her. And that's basically all they said. They said they spoke with Esmeralda on June 2 about the status of everything. But from what I've gauged, they were incredibly tight lipped about everything else. And then the days started to just go by with no answers. And obviously the more times going by with nothing, the concerns for her daughter's safety are just growing. So most of what we do know about Angie's disappearance, and really this whole case in general comes from her mother. And she said that at this point in time, she hadn't spent any money, she wasn't making any calls, and that she didn't drive, nor did she have a vehicle to drive. So how far could she have even gotten? Plus, when she was in Virginia, she went to her daughter's barracks and Esmeralda said that she saw that there were personal items like food and a yoga mat just sitting out. So to her looking at her daughter's room, it looked like she was very much planning to come back. Now listen, I will tell you that she did struggle with some mental health related issues in the past, clearly completely unrelated to what's going on here. And that will make even more sense as we go through. And who hasn't had mental health related issues at some point in their lives? Right? Extremely common. I just wanted to get that out of the way because I know people will comment about that. But in any case, this whole situation is not making sense. There's no way that Angie would just get up and walk away from her life without telling a soul. I choose function because it's the only health platform that gives you the access to the kind of data that most people never see and the insights to actually take action. Inside function, you can test over 160 biomarkers, everything from heart to hormones to toxins, inflammation and stress. You can also access multi region MRI and CT scans, all tracked in one secure place. Over time, it's an enhanced view of what's happening in your body. And that's why top health leaders like Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and Dr. Jeremy London are all behind Function health. Most people think, hm, if I have low iron, I just take an iron supplement. No big deal, right? But did you know that having low iron may actually not be the issue and supplementation could actually backfire? Iron plays several essential roles. 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That's functionhealth.com tckr and even though what I'm about to tell you proves that that wasn't the case, I'm very sad to have to tell you this, but they soon found out that she didn't just walk away from her life on June 9, 2025, the NCIS and NPD responded to a call about a body that was found in a wooded area a handful of miles off base in the area of Broad Creek in Norfolk, and the remains were quickly taken into the medical examiner's office so that they could make an identification and begin the autopsy. Although it was widely agreed upon that this had to be Angie, and people who lived in that neighborhood told several news stations that this was a quiet community and definitely not somewhere that they would ever expect something like this to happen. And as of the time I am recording this, which is August 15th, it is unclear if this location was where the murder actually occurred or if it was just the site where her body was dumped. I have my guesses, but I don't want to speculate at this point in time. And thankfully more answers did come later that day. So in addition to the remains that were found, it also was announced that there was now a sailor in pre trial confinement and charges under the Uniform Code of Military justice were pending. Now, I had never heard of this term pre trial confinement, so I wanted to understand it better and here's my best understanding of it. It is defined as a form of physical restraint imposed on a service member awaiting trial or hearing. It is used when there is a reasonable belief that the service member committed a court martial offense is a flight risk or poses a risk to unit readiness when confined, the service member continues to receive full pay and allowances. So basically, it means that this person was arrested and it's believed that this person was Navy sailor Jeremiah Copeland. And I have to note here, we know this guy's name because Angie's mom's lawyer released it. Also, if you're watching, you probably can already tell on screen, but at this point in time, this person's identity, or their face, I should say, has been hidden, which is really, really frustrating. And his name wasn't even out there until about 10 days after her body was found. And I'm about to get into all this, a lot more here, but the Navy has kept all the details of this case super, super hush hush, including the identity of this sailor. And yes, the remains were identified as belonging to Angie only one day after they were found. What hasn't been shared yet, though, is her cause of death. And I know that's frustrating to people. I know a lot of you are going to want to know what happened. We don't have those answers at this point in time. But a big reason why I wanted to cover Angie's case to begin with is because her mom has really been advocating for reform when it comes to how the Navy handles cases of missing soldiers. And I wanted to help amplify her voice. I mean, in this instance, she wasn't even notified by her daughter's commanding officer that her daughter was missing, which you think would just be the standard. Instead, she had to hear it from other people as well as the media, which is one of the worst ways you could possibly find out. And the same goes for her body being discovered, unfortunately. Then, of course, there was the delay in the investigation even starting, which is another major issue. Critical hours were just wasted. And then they waited days to start their investigation. For what? For why so? Rightfully so. Esmeralda is demanding accountability. And a lot of what I'm explaining is really laid out well in another statement. So I'm going to read that at least part of it for you. It says the family remains unwavering in their pursuit of justice, especially after the heartbreaking confirmation that these remains are hers, which only strengthens their resolve to hold those responsible accountable. The family is calling on the assistance of the United States government, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, the Hampton Roads congressional delegation home, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, and President Donald J. Trump to address the systemic issues that allowed her to vanish without justice since May 29th, 2025. The family demands accountability for oversight that put her life at risk and for mishandling that delayed justice. Emphasizing the urgent need to address how official channels failed to notify them promptly and properly, relying instead on unofficial sources like the media, which underscores deep systemic failures. Knowing that her daughter, a service member, had disappeared, she was horrified to realize that she was not properly notified through official channels and that instead she was only informed unofficially by her daughter's staff and media coverage. This systemic failure to provide timely and official notification was unacceptable under the Constitution. Congress has the power to raise and support armies and to provide and maintain a Navy, and it is their duty to ensure that these organizations function correctly. If the Navy cannot notify families properly and instead relies on unofficial sources, then Congress must investigate what has gone wrong. The Navy's failures threaten all families and the integrity of our military system. And Congress must reform these processes to prevent further tragedies for the safety of all families and for the integrity of our nation. I think it goes without saying that it is absolutely vital that our military has systems in place that protect people who serve not only from outside sources, but also from the dangers within, which is really scary to think about. And the violence in the military, specifically against women, is just shocking and inexcusable. The fact that people like Angie have chosen to serve their country and their families have chosen to let their child serve their country, but at the same time, they can't be promised safety, at least from within, and then swift justice if something goes wrong. There needs to be a serious change here, which is exactly what her mom is both trying to point out and advocate for. And she's doing that by calling on state and federal officials. And she's hoping that these failures can maybe be rectified so that this doesn't happen to anyone else or anyone else's families. And I don't get to say this often, I'm really happy I get to say this. But some of her call outs have actually been heard and responded to by some senators. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have both spoken up about the tragic loss of Angie's life and have said that they are seeking answers. Virginia Senator Mark Warner specifically said, I think it is important that we get a thorough investigation into what happened. If there was anybody dropping the ball on the timeliness of letting the family know that the soldier had disappeared, that needs to be corrected. He said the case raises questions. Why was the soldier allowed basically disappeared for a number of days before it was reported? And he's no stranger to Demanding action. He actually played a huge role in establishing the Ashanti Alerts, which is a missing person alert system that's designed to help locate adults aged 18 to 64. It was established in 2018 and named after Ashanti Billy, a 19 year old girl who was killed in 2017. And you would think that this would already be a system in place, but it wasn't. It's basically like an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert, but it's meant for adults who don't fall into either of those categories, which is a giant range of population. And supposedly this alert was sent out in Angie's case, but not in a timely manner. And that is something that Senator Warner wants more answers on, and he believes an investigation into how her case was handled is needed. And I could not agree more. And he's not the only one in support of those efforts. But before I get into that, I want to explain a little bit more about next steps when it comes to this other sailor. So currently, Jeremiah is being held at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Chesapeake, which is a military correctional facility. And within seven days of his arrest, they held an initial review officers hearing to determine whether they would continue to hold him there or if they would release impending charges. And it's similar to a bond hearing, except this isn't being handled in civilian court, so there's no bond. They basically decide if there's evidence to suggest that this person likely did it, and if so, whether or not they're deemed a flight risk. And I'm way oversimplifying it, but you know what I mean. And then after this hearing, they hold what's called an Article 32 preliminary hearing, and that is similar to a civilian preliminary hearing, where they decide if there's enough evidence to proceed to a general court martial, which is the highest level of military court. Basically, it's for the worst of the worst offenses. And in his case, it was decided that Jeremiah must remain in pretrial confinement during the duration of the proceedings. And Angie's mom participated in that initial hearing via phone where she pleaded with the judge to not release him. She said, your honor, my name is Esmeralda Castle, and I am the mother of Angelina Petra. Rescind. I speak to you today as the voice of my daughter because she no longer has one. Angie was more than a service member. She was a light in this world. She was brave, kind, devoted to her shipmates and her country, and full of promise. But instead of building her future, I am standing in a courtroom asking for justice on her behalf. The person responsible for this horrific loss made deliberate choices that ended Angie's life. Their actions were not a mistake. They were a betrayal of trust, of duty, and of basic human decency. To even consider releasing them would add another injustice to an already unbearable tragedy. Offering any form of leniency would not only dishonor Angie's memory, it would be a threat to public safety and a deep injustice to victims of violent crime. It would send the message that her life didn't matter. But it did. It still does. Angie deserves justice. Our family deserves peace. And our community deserves protection. I am asking this court to keep this individual confined because of the severity of what was done, not just to Angie, but to all of us who loved her. We cannot change the past, but we can choose to prevent further harm. Please do not let this preventable tragedy be repeated. Let justice stand. Thank you, your honor. And what's really shocking to me about this case is that her mom and friends had never even heard of Jeremiah. It wasn't someone that Angie had ever mentioned before. There was no like relationship with them, as far as we know, as far as she told anyone in her life, even a friendship or anything like that. So the lack of transparency here has made it all the more confusing. And this is really frustrating to have to tell you all, but currently he hasn't been officially charged with anything. They have 120 days to arraign him after this hearing, and that's when charges will be formally read. So it's just this, you know, torturous waiting game for this family. I'll never forget the feeling I had after my daughter was born. There was one night I was taking a shower and the amount of hair shedding I experienced in that shower truly freaked me out and made me just feel so, so bad about myself. So I started looking into hair supplements and a lot of them had mixed reviews. 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Navy sailor in confinement in connection to the disappearance and death of Seaman Angelina Resendez is expected to stay in custody through the duration of the case. That's according to a lawyer representing the Resendez family. Last night, Angelina's mother, Esmeralda Castle, spoke to a judge over the phone, pleading for justice on her daughter's behalf. There are still many questions surrounding that case, including the sailor's identity, the charges that they face, case and the cause of Angelina's death.
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The NCIS says they will continue to gather evidence through witness interviews and forensic testing. And at this point, I guess we just have to hope that justice is on the horizon. And obviously for her loved ones, justice doesn't only mean putting this monster away, but it also means ensuring that the Navy changes the way they handle these cases. And to help with this mission, Esmeralda has started working closely with the League of United Latin American Citizens, or lulac. They are the largest and oldest Hispanic and Latin American civil rights organization in the United States. Now if you are at all familiar with the Vanessa Guillen case, which I covered a couple years ago, God, time is just flying by. But I covered that case very thoroughly and ah, that one will always stay with me. It was so, so disturbing and insanely eye opening to how many failures we have in our military, how many systems and protocols are not working. And LULAC ended up playing a key role in that case when it came to advocating for justice, supporting the Guillen family, and pushing for national reform. And when it comes to Angie's case and Vanessa's case, many people have drawn similarities between them. Of course, both of them involve a murder of a young Hispanic woman in a military setting. And in Angie's case, we have not been told yet if she was sexually assaulted. But for anyone who knows Vanessa's case, you'll remember that that was a very big element. But anyway, the same organization is standing behind Angie's mom. I'm very happy to see that, because I think that is going to be the best people to have in her corner. And they're hoping to really make similar strides for Angie and for others in Angie's position in the future. And just like her mom, they are calling for a transparent investigation into Angie's death. And they agree that the case was mishandled due to system failures. Despite colleagues and Angie's family raising concerns about her whereabouts as early as May 29, they only labeled her as AWOL when she should have been reported missing. And of course, in those six days that it took to issue a missing person's alert, critical time was lost. Of course, it's hard to say without knowing all the details, but it's possible that she may have even been found alive if they treated this with the urgency that it deserved. They are also arguing that her mother had to take the lead in the initial search and had little support from the Navy or ncis, which. Which was a huge failure on their part. And they actually wrote out a list of what they demand happens moving forward, which was sent to the Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, as well as leadership at the Department of Defense and Senate Armed Services Committee. So, number one, like I said, they want a thorough and transparent investigation, including public timeline and accountability for every step of the Navy and NCIS's response. Two, they want accountability for any supervisors or command personnel who failed to take appropriate action. Three, they are looking for an explanation as for why she was initially declared AWOL rather than listed missing, which they say delayed the investigation. And four, they want NCIS to confirm any NDAs that service members were asked to sign relating to this case. And yes, it turns out sailors were asked to sign NDAs. Next, they want a formal review of Naval Station Norfolk sexual assault and harassment procedures, especially as they related to women of color, which I couldn't agree with more. And six on their list is that there is a public apology and acknowledgment of the mishandling and miscommunication with Angie's family. For number seven, they demand a full enforcement of the I Am Vanessa Gan act with its protections actively applied to this and other similar cases. And for their eighth demand, they want collaboration on a civilian family guide to support loved ones navigating institutional barriers after military tragedies. And lastly, they want continued transparency and access to documents under the Freedom of Information act for Angie's family. Now, these were all outlined in a press conference that was held on June 25 where members of LULAC shared their frustrations and demand for change. And in that same press conference, we actually did get to hear from Angie's mom, which obviously, I think it's much better that you hear it straight from her. So I'm going to play a clip of that for you now.
- [34:43]
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Yeah. I am the mother of Angie in the resendes. I am very grateful and thankful to be able to have support of people that care, who care about Angie, who care about people in need, who care about the voices that are being silenced. What happened is a tragedy. My daughter was. Her life was taken by another, a sailor, someone that she knew, someone that worked with her. And all the things leading up to her missing for 12 days was the tragedy. The note reporting her. As soon as it was reported to the command that Angie was missing, it wasn't reported. It wasn't reported the second day. It wasn't reported the third day. By Tuesday, once there was an official notice, it was already six days by the 9th. The Navy, you know, was not physically looking for her. It wasn't their responsibility to go out there and physically look for her. She was found by children in a wooded area and then sent home to me the way she was found, with no respect, no dignity, no honor. Why this happened, I don't. I don't know why it happened. Only that there is this in place and it does not work. And I don't know if it's ever worked. And I don't know if anyone would acknowledge that there is a problem and accept responsibility for it to make a change. Trying to honor her as best as we can and bring awareness that this happens. This is continue to happen. There is a pattern, and it is. You cannot deny it. You cannot look away. It is in our face and it will continue to happen if nothing changes. Congress is responsible for our military. It is their responsibility to create them, to maintain them, to fund them and to regulate them. It is if this is a failure on the military because they're failing to follow Enacted statutes or codes of conduct that they're supposed to be trained on. It's our. Our leaders should take action. They can stop this. They can change it. They can enact laws. They can make a way for families to have justice and this not ever happen again.
- [37:32]
C
God, it is really, really, really hard to watch that clip, to look into her eyes. You can just see the pain. It's almost as if part of her soul has left her when her daughter did. And I just. I cannot imagine being in her shoes and then having to tackle something as big as Navy reform and trying to point out all of these problems and make changes on top of getting justice for your child. I mean, that's just a fight that no mother should have to fight. And she is so, so, so very strong. And also, I don't know if you heard her say this, but she did mention that her daughter's body was found by children. And I don't have any more information beyond that. That is horrific. And I can't imagine what that was like for those children. It's just such a horrible, horrible scenario. And she is right. It is up to Congress and to help remedy a very broken system that none of us deserve. And like I said earlier, she does have support from senators like Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Senator Kaine said, quote, she has a real right to be deeply concerned about this. And I am committed to her as a member of the Armed Services Committee, that I'm going to be reaching out to the Navy to get some answers to some of the important questions she asked. And Senator Warner feels similarly that this family deserves answers and said that he was in touch with the Navy about this investigation and he will, quote, be pressing for more information. Information. And I really hope that they stand behind their statements and really see this through until the end. If there's one thing about me I truly value comfort in life, my favorite part of the day is what? I get to return to my bed, get under my favorite blanket, put on my favorite pajamas, and sip on my favorite tea. It is truly the best. And I've got to tell you about my new favorite blanket, because I am a blanket person.
- [39:23]
D
Person.
- [39:23]
C
Okay. I have dropped some coin on blankets over the years. I truly love them. I feel like it is one of the one places in life I'm really willing to treat myself. But I don't know if I can ever buy another type of blanket again, because I have now discovered the Lola blanket. Oh, my God, this thing is amazing. Not only is it beautiful, like, it can be decorative, on your couch, but it is comfortable. It is stretchy without looking like it soft holds up well in the wash. It's actually the world's number one blanket, crafted with ultra soft luxury vegan faux fur and signature four way stretch that sets it apart and that stretch really does blow my mind. It's machine washable, double hemmed for durability, stays flawless. No pilling, no shedding even after repeated washes. I'm very impressed with how mine's held up so far and the amount of colors that they offer. Even right now they have a fall collection. So so good. One Lola blanket instantly elevates your space. It's unbelievably soft, beautifully designed and makes your home feel cozy and curated. And it comes in a range of sizes. I personally have the large and I think it's perfect for cozing up solo or with someone else as well. My daughter loves to get under it so for a limited time my listeners can get 35% off their entire order at LOL blankets.com by using code TCKR at checkout. Just head to Lola blankets.com and use code TCKR for 35% off. After you purchase, they're going to ask you where you heard about them. Please support my show and tell them that I sent you Wrap yourself in Luxury with Lola Blankets and There has been somewhat of a response from the Navy and that came in early July. They released a two page memo that answered some of the questions specifically as it related to the timeline of events. I've already sprinkled some of their timeline in the beginning of this episode so you guys would get an idea of what they said happened. But yeah, this memo was their official response. And to summarize it, they explained how Angie was classified as UA or unauthorized absence on Friday, May 30 after she failed to report for duty. The report said her barracks were searched during a wellness check on the 29th after her petty officer reported that he couldn't locate her after she contacted him. And like we know, they didn't find her in her room on that Thursday, but they did find her in the barracks of that other sailor. Then on the 30th when she failed to report, they checked both her room in the room of this sailor, but neither could be located. And this is what they said prompted them to list her as ua. The memo also addressed the question of whether the UA status delayed the start of the formal investigation, to which the Navy said it didn't. One of the most important responses, at least in my opinion, was their response to the question about when the Navy first contacted Angie's mother and what information they actually gave her. They said she initiated contact on Saturday, May 31, by calling the Quarter Deck to request information on her daughter's whereabouts. And this is when they told her that Angie was seen on the 29th in the barracks room of another sailor, but that she was absent on the 30th and 31st, and that they were actively working to locate her. The memo also states that the NCIS spoke with Esmeralda every day between June 1 and June 11, with the exception of June 7, as it related to her daughter's case. But of course, this doesn't align with what Esmeralda said happened. And personally, I believe her. If you remember, she claimed to have called them on Thursday, May 29, and during that call, she was told that she was overdramatic about her concerns. Quote, when I called, a commander told me I was being overdramatic. He said that Angie was fine and that I was exaggerating.
- [42:48]
D
I called the Quarter Deck. Her friend called me on Thursday night, like, you know, from 3 8, 8:13pm on a Thursday telling me that Angie called him asking for a pickup. He shows up, Angie's not there. He calls the chief and tells him what's going on. He calls me and tells me that what's going on and that I should call, you know, the Quarter Dick. And so I do, and I call and I speak to a Chief Anderson and I ask him, hey, what's going on with my daughter, Angelina Resendis? He already knew who I was talking about. He told me that we found her. She was just in another room. It was a little, you know, the, the report was a little more dramatized, dramatic, you know, than necessary. She's, you know, and so I asked him to have her call me. We started calling her. She didn't answer. Friday, she was supposed to report to work. And when she didn't, and I called, I called again. I talked to a chief, another chief, put their main chief, Chief Parker, on the phone, and he told me she did not report to work.
- [44:02]
C
And she actually thinks that her daughter wasn't even seen on that Thursday because they couldn't even tell her so much as what she was wearing. Their whole timeline is only based on their word. And as most of us know, I mean, some people, I think, will probably deny this, but there is just a long standing, documented history of the military protecting their own. And I mentioned it earlier, but Jeremiah did show up for work that following Monday. And according to Esmeralda when they asked him if he had seen Angie, he said no. And at first they just took his word for it, which is not acceptable. And either is the way that they treated her mother. They can say they followed protocol all they want, which in protocol sucks if that's the case. But the truth is there was just a major lack of empathy and human decency along the way, which we should expect better from our military. And let's call a spade a spade here, right? The broader military culture is one that does not treat, treat every service member equally. We see it time and time again and a lot of the time they end up in true crime cases. And this is very similar to what we heard Vanessa's family echoing, that she had told them similar things leading up to her murder. Angie had told her mom that sexist and racist comments were a reality for her, but she didn't want to report it because she didn't want to deal with the repercussions. She didn't want to cause any problems, you know, make things harder for herself. And that's just not unique to her situation. That is an experience that's so many people serving in our military have. Sexism, racism and homophobia are just some of the issues that absolutely plague our military. And the fact that people who are choosing to serve their country have to deal with that type of. And then on top of that, we can't guarantee their personal safety. I mean, outside of combat situations obviously, but from internal situations, it's just unacceptable. It makes no sense. How can we actually allow that to be our standard? And that's why laws like the I am Vanessa Guillen law are so, so important. And the day that that passed was a huge win. Now, if you haven't heard of the I am Vanessa Guillen act, or maybe you've heard of it, but you don't know exactly what it does. It criminalizes sexual harassment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It improves how certain officials respond to sex related offenses through independent investigations and removes the decision to prosecute sexual misconduct cases from service members chain of command. And so for Angie's case, I'm hope maybe some kind of law can be passed to help protect other service members going forward. And knowing that her mom has a lot of good people standing behind her, an amazing organization like LULAC does lead me to believe that change is on the horizon. I hope that we see similar responses that we saw in Vanessa's case. And she also has a great attorney who I believe is already really helping her, at least that's how it seems from the outside. His name is Marshall Griffin. And, yeah, from what I can tell, he's been a great support throughout all of this, this, and he seems to be very motivated to get justice now. Back on June 20, Angie's remains were flown back to Texas with full military honors so that she could finally be home. And it was an extremely emotional day. Dozens of service members and loved ones gathered to honor and receive her remains back in her home state. And the only way it can be described is absolutely heart wrenching. I mean, just looking at the footage from this night, you can see how heavy everyone was feeling, the pain that they are experiencing, experiencing. Just the footage of her mom embracing her casket. I cannot. That has to be the most painful moment of someone's life. And if you aren't already pissed off, prepare yourself for this. And I debated on whether or not to even include this because it's so disturbing, it's disgusting, and it's horrific. But I think it's important that people know, know how the navy treated Angie. Esmeralda said that when her daughter's body was sent to the funeral home, she wanted to see her and say goodbye. And of course, she knew she wasn't going to be in great condition, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. And again, full warning before I say this, this is very disturbing, but Angie's body was covered in maggots. On top of all the other ways that she had been failed by the navy, which she chose to serve, she didn't even get the dignity of them preserving her body. It's just absolutely despicable, if you ask me. And I'm not totally sure about this, but I'm. I'm thinking it probably has something to do with the fact that it took days to actually find her. However, of course, that did not stop her family from honoring her life. Life. And her funeral was held on June 27, and her mom asked people to come wearing white. There was a really, really beautiful service where loved ones shared memories and stories. And that was followed by a very impactful candlelight vigil. And there were just many powerful moments, including when a letter from u. S. Senator John cornyon was read, which mentioned how he plans to do more about service members who go missing. And when asked about what justice looks like for her, Angie's mom said, quote, I think for me, justice would be restoring something, something that is not there anymore, restoring safety. I mean, you have the criminal aspect of it right now, and that is somebody that caused harm, but it isn't just about the person that caused harm, but about the entity that allowed it to happen. And I think she put that in the most perfect way. That sums up exactly what I think justice looks like here. And then another candlelight vigil was held on Monday, June 30, by her former high school. And a few of her friends spoke oak, as well as her art teacher, who I mentioned earlier, that had such a profound impact on her life. And then Angie's command actually held a private Service where about 100 of her fellow sailors gathered to honor her there as well. Esmeralda got to attend that as well and said that it was very important to these sailors that they got closure, too, despite it being so difficult. It was impactful.
- [50:08]
D
They had a. There was a ceremony today for everybody. Angie, by her, I believe, was the. The command, her ship. They organized it and put it together, and it was. It was hard. It was hard, but. And it's. I can't say it was nice. They did it for her. They did it for the shipmates to help them grieve and mourn and. And have some type of closure for her. They. They have traditions that mean a lot to them, and it meant a lot to them for me to be there. So that's why I came for them. At the end of it, they all. Every single person we hugged, right? Everyone gave me a hug. Everyone gave me condolences. Some of them cried in my arms, and we just held each other. And so that part, part was the shift of the ceremony, of all the ceremony. It was hugging all her friends that knew her and who she had an impact on, and then seeing that in them and feeling that and knowing that she has a space within them, I can see it in them. And so that was energizing and human. Like, the pain melted away for a little bit. Whatever Chip Bates told me about, he didn't say it. What he said was they had so many deep, lasting conversations that he's going to have for the rest of her life. One of them was apologizing that they wish that they could have done more to protect her. And so I had to reassure them that it's okay.
- [51:54]
C
Okay.
- [51:54]
D
It's okay. It's gonna be okay. They did what they could. They did the best that they could. One of her shipmates spoke to me really quickly about how she was working on herself, like, personal development, like improving in her career in the Navy. And there. There were the people there that were helping her with that, showing her and guiding her and directing her, and it hurt them. So much that all that. All the work that she was putting in to herself and to the military, to her country, to her service is gone. It's gone. And there's nothing that they could do about it. And so those were the good moments. And just, you know, they needed a hug just as much as I needed the hug. And so that was. It was worth it. It was worth the trip down here for that.
- [52:49]
C
Now, before I leave you guys today, I want to briefly talk about this other sailor, Jeremiah, who allegedly murdered Angie, and the very little information we know about him. And I did read that he was a culinary specialist just like Angie, which I imagine is how they met, most likely. But again, as far as their relationship, we don't have any information. We don't know know if there was even a friendship or an acquaintanceship or more than friends. We have no idea what that looked like at all. But again, going back to the fact that no one in her life had ever heard of this guy, and she never told her mom about him, I would venture to guess they weren't dating, but I just. I don't know. It's always possible, I guess. Now, also, though, when digging into this case, I did find out some things about him that I think are important to share, and that is that he had a history of domestic violence, which is very disappointing, not shocking at all. I'm Gonna link the TikTok video below if you want to check it out for yourself. But a very brave young woman spoke out on TikTok, saying that Jeremiah sexually assaulted her. And she wasn't the only one. This is someone he dated from 2020 to 2022. And after they broke up is when this occurred in. And despite going to the police and reporting him, she was another big shocker here, dismissed by authorities. And in that video, she said there was another girl from their high school who says Jeremiah assaulted her, and the only punishment from that was getting expelled. Yet despite these allegations, Jeremiah was able to join the Navy. Hmm. Is this the kind of people we want serving our country? I don't think so. And even if they weren't aware of what happened with his exact. There had to be some kind of record that explained why he was expelled, right? Or at least you would think so. You would hope so. So that was either missed or overlooked, which, either way you slice it, is a problem. And I really wish I knew more at this point about Jeremiah or about what happened to Angie. That's all I have for you at this time. Overall, I just want to say I couldn't agree with Angie's mom more that protections need to be in place, place for people, especially women in this type of setting who are choosing to serve our country. And God forbid something does happen, which of course, things will always happen. The families of victims should not find out from the media. How many times do I have to report this in cases in the military and outside the military? We just deserve so much better. Now, I wanted to mention to you guys that currently there's a GoFundMe to help Esmeralda search for answers in her daughter's case. And like always, I'm gonna have that linked in the description and show notes of this episode. As of today, when I am recording this episode, about 17,000 of the $50,000 goal has been raised. So if you're able to or are interested in donating, that's a great way to show her your support. And like I mentioned earlier, my team and I are going to be reaching out to Esmeralda and offering her a HOPE grant if she wants to use it. This is a case that I'm definitely going to be following closely. I really suggest you do the same. And after this episode goes live, if there are any major updates, I'll be sure to pin a comment and let you all know. Justice for Angie is the only option. And I hope that for the sake of everyone, it comes soon. That is going to be it for me today, you guys. I just wanted to quickly say too, to everyone out there who finished this episode, went all the way to the end. I really, really appreciate you because I know it was very heavy, very complex, and also, you know, lacked a lot of the information about the case at this point in time. But I know it is still important to talk about and. And you know, I'm sure it means a lot to Angie's family that anyone is willing to take the time to hear her story, and we owe that to them. That is going to be it for me today. Guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode. And make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel, which will be linked. Or you can just search Kendall Rae. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then, stay safe out there.
- [57:07]
A
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C
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B
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