A 16-year-old from Florida has been charged with homicide as a minor in the death of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, who was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship in November. The charges came to light through court documents first reported by Florida news outlet WESH 2 News and later confirmed by CBS News.
Kepner, an 18-year-old high school senior from Titusville, Florida, shared a stateroom with the suspect during the cruise, which also included her father, stepmother, and two other step-siblings. Investigators determined that she died of asphyxiation from a bar hold, an arm across the neck, and noted two bruises on the side of her neck. The incident occurred on 7 November, and her stepbrother was quickly identified as a suspect.
The FBI and the US attorney's office for the southern district of Florida have not publicly commented on the case. Because the death occurred on a cruise ship in international waters, federal authorities became involved. A housekeeper found Kepner under her bed on the day the ship returned to Miami on 8 November. She had told family members the night before that she was not feeling well and missed breakfast, prompting a search.
Kepner's grandmother, Barbara, told ABC News in November that the suspect was an “emotional mess” after the killing and claimed he did not remember what happened. However, Kepner's ex-boyfriend, Jim Thew, told WESH 2 News that he was not surprised by the charges, saying there were signs before the incident and that Kepner had complained about being uncomfortable around her stepbrother.
The stepbrother had been allowed to drink because the ship was in international waters, according to an attorney involved in a custody dispute between his parents. The court documents in that dispute revealed that the US attorney's office had charged the stepbrother in Kepner's homicide. An obituary for Kepner described her as thoughtful and nurturing, stating that she “loved her siblings deeply and made sure they always felt it.”
