FL - Anna Kepner, 18, dies aboard Carnival cruise ship traveling from Miami to Caribbean, FBI launch probe, 7 Nov 2025

[Alice Ramnit]

Um, Grandma Barbara, connect the dots.

“He was the only one seen coming and going.”

Yet you “can’t accuse him because you don’t know what happened in that room.” ??????

Oh yes, you do know, you just don’t want to face it.

It’s not a magic trick. Two go in, one comes out, the other one is not only deceased, but murdered.

Sorry you can’t figure it out. It’s painful, yes, but it is the reality.

And amnesia, says his mother? Wow, imagine that, amnesia just in the nick of time! Lucky boy!

JMO

Especially since he had 'demons' that he was trying to 'deal with'!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

There it its

His truth

Not the truth

His

MOO. JMO

I absolutely loathe that his/her/their truth expression

 

[tara83]

Yeah the ex-boyfriend fits right in with the rest of the bunch, anxiously presenting a different version of events to the media he apparently heard from the 14 year old brother. According to AK’s tik tok post about the prior breakup, he won’t be winning Mr Integrity of the Year. They all seem to have something to say but none of it jives. Protective positioning is happening, I’d say. We can’t possible know the truth at this early point in time so I’m just keeping an open mind.
JMO

I'll take his word over a family more concerned about perception and protecting a killer. JMO

 

[Gators North]

How did step-grandma hear about her new step-grandson’s ‘demons’? What demons, at age 16? She had to hear this from her son and his new wife.

On Monday, her grandmother Barbara told Good Morning America that her family were stunned that Anna's stepbrother, who has not been named, was accused.

'They were like brother and sister, he was a good student,' she said. 'He played soccer, and is a very quiet young man.'

Barbara said that he 'had demons in his past and was trying to deal with those', and revealed that he broke down when confronted by investigators.

Grandma of woman, 18, found dead on cruise ship breaks silence

Barbara Kepner, the grandmother of Anna Kepner, 18, who was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship, offered new details into the ongoing investigation into her murder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Demons in his past, eh? And they were still okay with him sharing a room with Anna? How sure were they that those demons were exorcised? MOO

 

[MistyWaters]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

It’s difficult to keep up with the ever changing versions of events.

Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect'

The young woman's body was discovered by a room attendant, “concealed under the bed,” and there were bruises on the side of her neck, according to the Kepners.

abcnews.go.com

“The last night her grandparents saw Anna alive, her dental braces had been bothering her at dinner, Barbara Kepner said. But Anna was still determined to join in the fun.

“She just said, ‘Meemaw, I think I'm gonna go back to my room for a little bit, I don't feel well.’ And she must have felt better, because she got dressed up. And she came down, we were playing in the casino. And she sat down and she played $20. And she didn't win anything. And she said, ‘Meemaw, I love you guys, I'll see you later,’” Mrs. Kepner said. “She'd pop in and out to check in with us. And we never saw her again after that.”

 

[SMK777]

Doesn’t mean that wasn’t the motive, it means if that was the motive, Anna fought back.

I guess you're right!

 

[steeltowngirl]

An attorney addresses the ‘gag order’ request that SHK has made in family court. He says it’s an overreach, and not appropriate for family court to decide, and potentially hinder an investigation. He says basically SHK and TH have an option to pause custody proceedings if they want to keep information non-public. Also says SHK has requested to not have the father’s text messages reviewed. Attorney basically says that’s nonsense, FBI will have access to all. Not a family court matter.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Demons in his past, eh? And they were still okay with him sharing a room with Anna? How sure were they that those demons were exorcised? MOO

Yeah, the parents must have had their own amnesia, to not have seen this train wreck coming.

JMO

 

[LookingForClues]

Sorry if this has already been posted. I was surprised to learn that there were no signs of sexual assault. For some reason, I had assumed that was the motive of the stepbrother:

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's office declined to comment Friday. The Kepners said the family has been told preliminary information indicates that there were no signs of sexual assault and that there did not appear to be drugs or alcohol in Anna’s system.

Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect'

The young woman's body was discovered by a room attendant, “concealed under the bed,” and there were bruises on the side of her neck, according to the Kepners.

abcnews.go.com

The next paragraph says autopsy and toxicology reports are not complete, so we don't know about sexual assault yet. And as others have said, even if they conclude she was not sexually assaulted, it doesn't mean he wasn't trying to. He may have killed her before he got that far.

This is from your ink:

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's office declined to comment Friday. The Kepners said the family has been told preliminary information indicates that there were no signs of sexual assault and that there did not appear to be drugs or alcohol in Anna’s system.

Autopsy and toxicology reports that could confirm those details have not been completed.

 

[MistyWaters]

I'll take his word over a family more concerned about perception and protecting a killer. JMO

Reporters must be camping on the doorsteps of all these people. One after another, who’s up next? IMO it’s a very sad display, trial by media is never concerned about dignity nor justice for victim, in this case Anna.

I’m very curious why an official COD hasn’t yet been released, aside from an anonymous source.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Yeah, the parents must have had their own amnesia, to not have seen this train wreck coming.

JMO

I don't think it was just the 16-year-old boy who had "demons". There seem to be a lot of demons lurking in this family. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Reporters must be camping on the doorsteps of all these people. One after another, who’s up next? IMO it’s a very sad display, trial by media is never concerned about dignity nor justice for victim, in this case Anna.

I’m very curious why an official COD hasn’t yet been released, aside from an anonymous source.

An FBI case involving a minor suspect. My guess.

 

[Serononin]

Reporters must be camping on the doorsteps of all these people. One after another, who’s up next? IMO it’s a very sad display, trial by media is never concerned about dignity nor justice for victim, in this case Anna.

I’m very curious why an official COD hasn’t yet been released, aside from an anonymous source.

I'm assuming they won't confirm a COD until they've got all the tox and other test results back

 

[Warwick7]

Did I read somewhere the stepbrother had been drinking alcohol? Obvious where this is headed…

Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect'

The young woman's body was discovered by a room attendant, “concealed under the bed,” and there were bruises on the side of her neck, according to the Kepners.

abcnews.go.com

“She said on the ship, the stepbrother told her, “In his own words, say he does not remember what happened.” She added, “I believe, to him, that is his truth.”

The stepbrother was questioned along with other family members by law enforcement -- who also pored over the ship’s security camera footage and access-card swipes to get a picture of who was where at the various times prior to the death, according to the Kepner family and a security source briefed on the investigation.

“He was an emotional mess. He couldn't even speak. He couldn't believe what had happened,” Mrs. Kepner said of the stepbrother. After the boat docked in Miami, the stepbrother was hospitalized for psychiatric observation and then released to stay with a family member, Kepner said.”

Yeah I bet he couldn't speak!
Yeah I bet he couldn't believe what happened!
LE was bearing down on him and couldn't believe he got caught!!

 

[FromGermany1]

I'm assuming they won't confirm a COD until they've got all the tox and other test results back

Bbbbut I have read it already on MSM, so now I'm confused a bit.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I'm assuming they won't confirm a COD until they've got all the tox and other test results back

I agree. I've also been wondering about the report of the "chokehold" (or "bar hold") as the alleged COD. It occurred to me that the interior stateroom that was occupied by the three teens had a set of bunk beds. There would have been a ladder to access the top bunk bed. If there was a struggle, the ladder could have fallen and contributed to the loud noises that might have emanated from the cabin. I almost hate to say this, but I wonder if the "bar hold" wasn't manual but was actually done with the heavy ladder?

 

[FromGermany1]

A cause of death has not been announced by authorities, but the Kepner family says the FBI has told them Anna apparently died from asphyxiation, possibly caused by a bar hold -- an arm across the neck.


The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's office declined to comment Friday. The Kepners said the family has been told preliminary information indicates that there were no signs of sexual assault and that there did not appear to be drugs or alcohol in Anna’s system.

Autopsy and toxicology reports that could confirm those details have not been completed.

Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect'

The young woman's body was discovered by a room attendant, “concealed under the bed,” and there were bruises on the side of her neck, according to the Kepners.

abcnews.go.com

 

[SMK777]

The next paragraph says autopsy and toxicology reports are not complete, so we don't know about sexual assault yet. And as others have said, even if they conclude she was not sexually assaulted, it doesn't mean he wasn't trying to. He may have killed her before he got that far.

This is from your ink:

I get it. Still not complete. Thanks!

 

[FromGermany1]

Preliminary findings indicate she died of asphyxiation from a bar hold – an arm across the neck – with investigators noting two bruises on the side of her neck. A final autopsy and toxicology report are still pending.

Stepbrother investigated in death of Florida high schooler on cruise ship

Anna Kepner, 18, from Titusville, was found dead of asphyxiation under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship

www.theguardian.com

 

[FromGermany1]

The boy was allegedly allowed to drink while the ship was in international waters, according to an attorney involved in a separate custody dispute.

Stepbrother investigated in death of Florida high schooler on cruise ship

Anna Kepner, 18, from Titusville, was found dead of asphyxiation under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship

www.theguardian.com