An 18-year-old woman was discovered deceased aboard a Carnival cruise ship last month in a case that has exposed troubling family dynamics and raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
Text messages exchanged between family members in the immediate aftermath have shed light on efforts to shield the primary suspect in the federal investigation.
Anna Kepner was found dead on Nov. 7 in the cabin she occupied with her 16-year-old stepbrother and 14-year-old brother during the cruise, Resist the Mainstream previously reported.
The discovery of her body, which had been concealed beneath a bed, prompted an FBI investigation that quickly focused on the teenage stepbrother as a person of interest.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 35 Orlando, Shauntel Kepner, Anna’s stepmother, initiated contact with her ex-husband on Nov. 8, instructing him to call her regarding an urgent matter.
This communication came one day after Anna’s body was discovered on the vessel.
The following day, Shauntel sent another message detailing a brief conversation with their son while he underwent evaluation at a medical facility.
The text indicated that the teenager claimed to have no recollection of events and had been permitted a phone call by a nurse solely for the purpose of receiving parental reassurance.
Court documents reveal that subsequent messages repeatedly emphasized keeping the suspected teenager removed from broader discussions about Anna’s death.
The communications cited his status as a minor as justification for this approach.
Federal authorities determined that Anna died from mechanical asphyxiation, according to the New York Post.
On the night of her death, her youngest brother reported hearing yelling emanating from the cabin while Anna remained inside with her stepbrother, who family members described as being in an erratic state.
The teenage suspect reportedly suffered from insomnia and other health issues, and had failed to take prescribed medication during the cruise voyage.
These factors have become relevant details in the ongoing federal investigation.
Christopher Kepner, Anna’s father, expressed conflicted feelings about his stepson’s potential involvement in the death.
He stated that he wanted the teenager to face accountability for his actions while simultaneously declining to make a definitive accusation, reported the Post.
“I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can’t decline,” Christopher Kepner stated.
He emphasized that only the FBI investigation could provide sufficient evidence to determine the teenager’s culpability.
The father noted that his stepson was the sole occupant of the room with Anna at the time of her death.
He indicated that federal investigators would need to present conclusive evidence regarding the teenager’s involvement or lack thereof.
The Post reported that following Anna’s death, the stepbrother was relocated to live with other relatives.
This decision was made to reduce potential risk to other children in the family, according to sources close to the situation.
Disturbing details have emerged about Anna’s relationship with her stepbrother prior to the cruise.
The father of Anna’s ex-boyfriend reported that she had confided months before her death that she did not feel secure in her stepbrother’s presence.
The ex-boyfriend’s father also claimed the teenage stepbrother was “infatuated” with Anna.
