The Secretary of the Navy recently wrote a letter to Texas State Rep. Vincente Gonzalez regarding his inquiry into the investigation and policies surrounding Petty Officer Angelina Resendiz's death.
Gonzalez represents District 34, where Resendiz is from, before she moved to Mexia and graduated from Mexia High School.
The letter comes after Gonzalez brought forth concerns on July 10 about the chain of command's response to Resendiz's absence before her death; the protocols made in the preservation of her remains to be returned to Texas from Virginia; as well as the facts and circumstances related to the alleged offender in her death.
"On June 30, 2025, the Navy convened a review into four specific topics: the Navy's response to the initial report of Petty Officer Resendiz's absence, the casualty program response when Petty Officer Resendiz was determined to be involuntarily absent and ultimately deceased; the dignified transfer of Petty Officer Resendiz's remains to her mother; and the circumstances of how and why the suspect in Petty Officer Resendiz's death was transferred to the USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS (DDG 95).
In the letter, Navy Secretary John C. Phelan said Resendiz's death is still under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). He added that the Navy's actions and response into her disappearance and death followed current U.S. law and Navy regulations and policy.
"Once the review and the NCIS investigation are complete, we will pursue any necessary policy improvements to respect and honor our Service Members, our most precious resource," Phelan wrote.
You can read the full letter here:
