Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old cheerleader from central Florida, was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month.
Her stepbrother is the sole suspect in the case, and authorities have been tight-lipped about the details since her death.
Here’s what we know about the case.
How did Kepner die?
Kepner died while on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship with her family on Nov. 7. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office previously determined Kepner’s time of death was 11:17 a.m.
The medical examiner’s office has declined to provide details on the cause and manner of Kepner’s death. When asked Tuesday morning for an update, the office cited the active criminal investigation into the case as the reason records cannot be released publicly.
Kepner’s family told ABC News that her death was ruled a homicide caused by “mechanical asphyxia” at the hands of another person. A copy of the death certificate was provided to ABC News by Kepner’s family.
Who is the suspect?
Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother is being investigated as a suspect in the case, which was revealed last week in court documents stemming from a separate case relating to his parents’ prior divorce.
The boy’s mom revealed in a court appearance related to the divorce case on Thursday that he was hospitalized shortly after the ship docked in Miami on Nov. 8, as was planned. It was not immediately clear why he was hospitalized.
He has since been released from the hospital and is now staying with a relative of his mother’s, according to court documents.
The relationship between Kepner and her stepbrother was not totally clear. Her father and his mother were married in December 2024.
Who was on the cruise?
Court documents revealed that Kepner and her father, as well as at least one of her biological siblings, a brother, were on the cruise, along with Kepner’s stepmother, her son (the suspect), and another of her minor children.
Kepner has another biological sibling, according to court documents from her father’s prior divorce, but it was not immediately clear if they were also on the trip.
ABC News reported that Kepner’s grandparents were also on the cruise.
Since the death took place in international waters, the FBI has been leading the investigation into Kepner’s death. The agency has not provided any updates.
Carnival has said it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation and that there is no further threat aboard the Carnival Horizon.
Who was Anna Kepner?
Kepner was a high school senior and cheerleader, and was remembered in her obituary as a bubbly, outgoing, and reliable teen who was always true to herself.
She dreamed of becoming a cheerleader for the University of Georgia and “loved her siblings deeply,” the obituary said.
Her funeral was held on Thursday, and her family asked attendees to wear bright colors versus black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul,” the obituary said.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/J9ijnyr
No comments:
Post a Comment