Anna Kepner, the 18-year-old found dead on a Caribbean cruise earlier this month, died from asphyxiation, according to ABC News, which cited sources close to the investigation.
Kepner was discovered under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 8. Investigators have preliminarily determined that she died after being placed in a chokehold — described as a bar hold or an arm held across the neck — ABC News reported.
Authorities said Kepner’s body showed no signs of sexual assault, and toxicology screening found no drugs or alcohol in her system, per ABC News. Full autopsy and toxicology results have not yet been released.
When reached on Friday, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Department declined to comment on the cause or manner of death, noting the investigation is ongoing. The FBI has not responded to requests for comment.
Kepner, a high school cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was traveling with her father, stepmother, and two step-siblings, CBS News previously reported. The night before she was found, she told her family she wasn’t feeling well and went to bed early, according to CBS News.
She is being remembered in an online obituary as a “thoughtful” and “nurturing” person who was “always thinking of others.” The obituary noted that she often sent unexpected “I love you” messages or small gestures to brighten someone’s day.
No suspect or person of interest has been publicly identified.
However, in unrelated court filings tied to a child custody dispute, Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, stated that the FBI informed her one of Hudson’s minor children may face criminal charges, according to Florida Today, FOX 35, and CBS News. The filings do not specify whether any potential charge is connected to Kepner’s death.
