Federal agents are closing in on a potential suspect in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, the Florida teenager found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month. According to a law enforcement source and another individual familiar with the case, the FBI’s attention is now centered on one of her stepsiblings.
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Court documents obtained by CBS News indicate that Kepner’s family believes her 16-year-old stepbrother is under federal scrutiny. The FBI declined to discuss specifics, noting that it rarely provides operational updates during an active investigation.
One law enforcement source told CBS News that Kepner and the stepbrother may have been involved in an altercation before her death.
Kepner had been on a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother, and three stepsiblings when she was discovered dead beneath a bed in her stateroom on the Carnival Horizon. The ship was returning to Miami and docked on Nov. 8. Her body was found by a housekeeper, according to investigators. She had been sharing the cabin with her stepbrother and another stepsibling.
CBS News confirmed that the medical examiner listed her time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, a time that aligns with when her body was believed to have been discovered. Relatives told investigators that Kepner went to bed early the night before, saying she felt ill. When she did not appear for breakfast the next morning, her family began looking for her.
On Tuesday, CBS News reported that another court filing suggested potential criminal charges may be forthcoming against a stepsibling. The detail surfaced in a motion from Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudston, who requested a delay in her divorce hearing due to the ongoing situation. The filing stated: “An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein the Respondent/Mother will not be able to testify at the hearing at this time.”
Investigators are now reviewing surveillance video from the ship and analyzing electronic keycard data to determine who entered the cabin. They are also examining Kepner’s cellphone and interviewing passengers, crew members, and family.
Carnival Cruise Line says it is fully cooperating with federal authorities. The FBI has jurisdiction because Kepner was an American citizen and the incident took place in international waters. The case is being handled jointly by the Miami FBI office and Carnival’s security team.
Carnival added that the FBI has informed the company that there is no threat to passengers on the ship’s current sailing.[/read]