The cause of death for a teenage girl who died aboard a Carnival Cruise ship has been revealed.
Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, died from asphyxiation resulting from a bar hold—an arm across the neck—according to a source who spoke to ABC News on Friday.
The source shared that investigators found two bruises on the side of her neck, and that preliminary information suggests there were no signs of sexual assault or that she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Kepner had been on the Carnival Horizon cruise from Florida to the Caribbean with her family when she was found dead on November 8. The ship returned to port in Miami the same day.
Her body was found stuffed under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Federal investigators are looking into her 16-year-old step-brother as a potential suspect, according to a court filing in an unrelated custody case.
The filing came from Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, who was on the cruise with her children and Kepner’s father. She asked the family court to postpone a custody hearing because one of her children may face criminal charges, the filing said.
Kepner’s step-brother was allegedly “obsessed” with her, according to reporting from Inside Edition.
The outlet spoke with Steven Westin, the father of Kepner’s ex-boyfriend, who claims that Kepner was “scared of [her step-brother], because he always carried around a big knife.”
Westin also shared that his son witnessed Kepner’s step-brother lay on top of her while she was sleeping during a FaceTime call, adding that “[her step-brother] always wanted to date her.”
Kepner’s funeral was held on Thursday in her hometown of Titusville. Some family members were asked not to attend due to tensions over the ongoing investigation into her stepbrother’s potential involvement.
Kepner’s biological mother, Heather, told Inside Edition she was asked not to come by other family members, but said she would go to the funeral in disguise. She divorced from Kepner’s father, Christopher, when Kepner was 5.
“I’m going to put a wig on and wear some really tall shoes because I’m 4-foot-9,” she said.
Kepner’s obituary stated that she planned to join the U.S. Navy after graduation and wanted to become a K-9 police officer.
“Anna was pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself,” her obituary said.
“The Kepner family asks for privacy and respect during this difficult time — and for everyone to remember Anna with laughter, color, sunshine, and love. Because that’s exactly how she lived her life.”
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