The 18-year-old Anna Kepner's grandparents think they have lost two grandchildren: their granddaughter and her 16-year-old stepbrother, who is now being investigated for her death.
“No matter what we find out, no matter what they tell us, it’s not going to bring either one of these children back,” said grandmother Barbara Kepner.
Anna, from Titusville, Florida, was found dead on November 8 aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests beneath a stateroom bed. According to the findings of the investigators, she died by asphyxiation caused by a “bar hold”, an arm across the neck, and bruises on her neck lend weight to that possibility.
Court documents filed by Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, in a separate custody case acknowledge that her 16-year-old son may be subject to a criminal investigation. Despite being closely bonded with Anna, “like two peas in a pod,” according to his grandmother, the teen is now under investigation.
Read more: Anna Kepner update: What is bar hold choke? Shocking detail in teen's case
Blended family trip ends in tragedy
{{/usCountry}}Read more: Anna Kepner update: What is bar hold choke? Shocking detail in teen's case
Blended family trip ends in tragedy
{{/usCountry}}The Kepner grandparents told ABC News that there was no difference between blood and step-siblings in their close-knit family. “It’s all family – it’s a blended family, yes, but that’s not how our family is,” Jeffrey Kepner said. “Our dynamic is we’re all just family.”
Anna was on a six-day Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother, two full siblings and three stepsiblings, celebrating an expected new tradition for their blended family.
According to court filings, the stepbrother’s parents sought to delay custody proceedings, stating the minor was the subject of an active FBI investigation following Anna’s death aboard the ship, which sailed in international waters.
Anna’s biological mother, Heather Kepner, spoke publicly of her grief on Fox 35, describing her daughter as “always happy,” and acknowledging she first learned of the death via Google. The emotional toll on the family is evident.
According to the New York Post, Heather Kepner was proud of Anna, who aspired to join the US Navy and eventually work as a K-9 police officer. Heather also mentioned that she hadn't seen her daughter regularly in years after relocating to Oklahoma.
Read more: Anna Kepner family: Who are parents Christopher and Shauntel?
Autopsy and investigation status
A death certificate obtained by ABC News declares Anna’s cause of death as mechanical asphyxia by “other person(s)”, with the injury date listed as November 6. That document officially classifies the death as a homicide.
Anna Kepner's stepmother stated that her son had been temporarily admitted to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation following Anna's death during the court hearing, where the stepbrother was allegedly named as a suspect.
The Kepner family said that law enforcement also questioned the stepbrother. The grandmother, Barbara Kepner, said, “He was an emotional mess. He couldn’t even speak – he couldn’t believe what had happened.”
She recounted that the stepbrother had spoken to her on board the ship,“in his own words,” that “he does not remember what happened.” She added, “I believe, to him, that is his truth.”
The medical examiner has not publicly confirmed final results pending toxicology and a full autopsy. The cruise company and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are cooperating, but no formal suspect has been publicly named, and charges have yet to be filed.