Authorities investigating the shocking death of a Florida teenager on a Caribbean cruise have indicated there is only one person of interest in the case: her 16-year-old stepbrother. The tragic incident has torn a family apart and sparked a complex FBI investigation.
A Dream Cruise Turns to Tragedy
Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old high school senior from Titusville, Florida, with aspirations to join the U.S. Navy, died on November 7, 2025, while aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. What was meant to be a fun-filled six-day family vacation ended in horror when Kepner's body was discovered hidden underneath a bed in the cabin she shared with her stepbrother and a younger sibling.
An autopsy later confirmed the teen was murdered, with the cause of death listed as asphyxiation. Investigators noted two bruises on her neck, leading them to believe she died from a chokehold. The FBI has stated there were no signs of sexual assault and no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system.
Family Fractures as Investigation Continues
Initially, the family presented a united front, but that solidarity has since shattered. Kepner's father, Christopher, has publicly distanced himself from his stepson. "I do not stand behind what my stepson has done," he told People magazine. "I want him to face the consequences. He was the only one who was in the room."
Other family members have expressed frustration over the pace of the investigation. "We don't understand why, if the boy is a suspect, why has he not been charged yet," said the victim's aunt, Krystal Wright, to Fox News. She added that her niece had fought for her life.
The stepbrother, whose name has not been released by authorities, reportedly told family he does not remember what happened in the cabin. He was described as a "basket case" when the ship docked in Miami and is now residing with a third party at an undisclosed location.
A Troubled Dynamic and a Custody Battle
Court documents from a bitter custody battle between the stepbrother's parents have shed light on the situation. The boy's father filed an emergency motion revealing that his son was considered "a suspect" in the death. The documents also highlighted a reportedly troubled dynamic between the stepsiblings.
Anna Kepner's former boyfriend, Joshua Tew, revealed that the stepbrother had a volatile temper, allegedly throwing chairs and screaming at Anna in their shared cabin before her death. Kepner had confided that the boy made her feel uncomfortable.
The tragedy has also ignited a conflict with Kepner's estranged biological mother, Heather Wright, who learned of her daughter's death through an online search. Wright has criticized the decision to have the teens share a cabin. "Why am I the bad guy? He put them in the same room together," she told Fox News.
Law enforcement remains tight-lipped, with the FBI confirming only that the death is being treated as a homicide and that the investigation is ongoing. The case continues to develop as agents work to piece together the final hours of the vibrant teen's life.
