An 18-year-old Florida cheerleader was found dead under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship, with her 16-year-old stepbrother identified as a suspect, authorities said. Anna Kepner, from Titusville, was discovered on the Carnival Horizon on 8 November, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests. Preliminary findings indicate she died of asphyxiation from a bar hold, with two bruises on her neck. A final autopsy and toxicology report are pending.
Kepner was sharing a stateroom with her stepbrother during a family trip that included her father, stepmother and two step-siblings. The boy was allegedly allowed to drink while the ship was in international waters, according to an attorney involved in a separate custody dispute. He was taken to hospital after the ship docked in Miami.
Neither the FBI nor Carnival has publicly stated how Kepner died or whether a crime occurred. Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement: 'Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI.' The disclosures about the teen's possible involvement surfaced during a family court hearing involving his parents, Shauntel Hudson and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson. Both parents acknowledged in court filings that their middle child, identified as 'TH', was under FBI investigation in connection with Kepner's death.
Kepner's biological mother, Heather Wright, said she learned of her daughter's death through Google searches. 'I ended up Googling it, because the only information I had was that my daughter was on a cruise,' she told CNN. Kepner, who was expected to graduate high school next year, was memorialised at a church in Titusville, where mourners were encouraged to wear bright colours 'in honour of Anna's bright and beautiful soul'.
