A source briefed on the Anna Kepner investigation tells ABC News that the 18-year-old found dead on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month died by asphyxiation resulting from a bar hold—an arm across the neck. Investigators also discovered two bruises on the side of her neck. No signs of sexual assault were found, and preliminary reports indicate no drugs or alcohol were in her system. However, final autopsy and toxicology results are still pending.
The FBI and Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office haven't commented on the case, referencing the continuing probe. Kepner, a cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was found dead on Nov. 8 under a bed on the Carnival Horizon, wrapped in a blanket and under life vests. A court filing in an unrelated family court case revealed that Kepner's stepsibling is under investigation and could potentially face charges related to her death.
The filing also noted that Kepner's stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, who was on the cruise with her children and Kepner's father, asked for a delay in her custody hearing due to one of her minor children possibly being hit with criminal charges. The Kepner family described Anna as a "happy, bubbly, straight-A student" with a bright future, per ABC. A private memorial service for Kepner was held Thursday at a Titusville church, per the AP.
Meanwhile, Kepner's biological mother says she heard about her daughter's death in a most horrific way. "I found out through Google," Oklahoma's Heather Wright tells CNN, adding that she hasn't been contacted by either the FBI or Kepner's father since. "I ended up Googling it, because the only information I had was that my daughter was on a cruise." Wright, who says she hasn't seen her daughter in a few years, describes her as someone who "always wanted to make people laugh."
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