The teenage stepbrother linked to the ongoing investigation into Anna Kepner’s death on a cruise ship was reportedly taken to the hospital shortly after her body was discovered earlier this month.
Kepner, an 18-year-old cheerleader from Titusville, Fla., was found dead beneath a bed aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 8. Federal authorities have confirmed the case is under investigation, and no public announcements have identified any suspects or persons of interest.
In a separate and unrelated court filing tied to a custody dispute, Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, said she was informed by the FBI that one of her minor children could face criminal charges, according to Florida Today, FOX 35 and CBS News. The documents did not specify the nature of the potential charges, or whether they are connected to Anna’s death.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(669x1136:671x1138):format(webp)/anna-kepner-3-111025-02-93bf03136f064f5fadfc1af673073fbf.jpg)
The filing stems from an ongoing custody battle between Shauntel and her former husband, as reported by ClickOrlando. During a hearing on Thursday, Nov. 20, Shauntel’s attorney, Millicent Athanason, stated that the 16-year-old stepsibling was hospitalized “immediately after” Kepner’s body was found, ClickOrlando reported.
At the same hearing, Scott Smith — the ex-husband’s attorney — alleged that both Anna and the 16-year-old had been permitted alcoholic drinks because the ship was in international waters, arguing that Shauntel failed to provide appropriate supervision. Athanason disputed that claim, citing ship surveillance footage that she said showed no evidence of drinking, according to the outlet.
Anna had been on the cruise with her father, stepmother, and two stepsiblings. She is being remembered by loved ones as “bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself,” adding that her unfiltered personality was part of what made her so endearing, according to her online obituary.
