Anna Kepner’s Mother Questions Sleeping Arrangements on Cruise Ship, Seeks Justice for Daughter

Family Rift Exposed as Investigation Continues Into Teen’s Death on Cruise Ship

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — The biological mother of 18-year-old Anna Kepner is speaking out as authorities continue investigating the Titusville teen’s death aboard a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month, now officially ruled a homicide.

Heather Wright, who has been estranged from her daughter for several years, said she has serious concerns about the sleeping arrangements on the ship that placed her daughter in the same cabin as her stepbrother, who is reportedly being scrutinized by investigators.

Authorities have not named a suspect, and no arrests have been made.

Kepner was traveling with her blended family when she died during the cruise. Federal authorities said her body was discovered Nov. 6 in the cabin she shared with her stepbrother.

Now, Wright says she is struggling to understand why her daughter was placed in that living arrangement.

Anna’s death has reportedly been ruled a homicide by “mechanical asphyxiation,” but authorities have not announced any suspects or arrests. She was found dead in her cabin in a room she shared with her stepbrother.

“Why am I the bad guy?” Wright said in an interview with Fox News. “He put them in the same room together.”

Wright, who lives in Oklahoma, said she learned of her daughter’s death after the fact and claims she was not notified by the family immediately. She also alleges she was left out of her daughter’s obituary and discouraged from attending the memorial service.

“They said I never went, but I did,” Wright said. “I went quietly because I didn’t want to cause a scene.”

Wright also claims her ex-husband, Christopher Kepner, threatened her with legal consequences if she attended the service. Despite this, she said she felt compelled to be there.

“She was my daughter,” Wright said. “I loved her with all my heart and soul.”

Federal authorities are continuing their investigation and have not indicated when additional information may be released. Carnival Cruise Line has not issued detailed public comments regarding the circumstances of Kepner’s death.

As the case remains under investigation, Wright says she is desperate for answers and hopes the truth about her daughter’s death will come out.

Death Certificate Shows Anna Kepner Was Cremated as FBI Probe Continues

New public records are shedding more light on the death of Anna Kepner, 18, of Titusville, whose mysterious passing aboard a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month remains the subject of an active federal investigation.

Kepner was traveling with family at the time of her death.

A copy of Kepner’s death certificate confirms that she has been cremated. The public version of the document does not list her cause or manner of death — details that are only disclosed to immediate family members under Florida law.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

The FBI’s Miami field office, which announced it had opened a case shortly after the incident, has provided few updates. However, her death was ruled a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation.

“Forensic pathologists use the term ‘mechanical asphyxia’ to describe any external force that prevents the chest or abdomen from expanding enough to breathe,” Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist, said.

Kepner was discovered on Nov. 7 — the day before the Carnival Horizon returned to PortMiami — in the cabin she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother. Family members say she was found under the bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets.

No arrests or public identification of any suspect have been made.

Much of what has emerged publicly comes not from federal authorities but from an unrelated family court case involving Kepner’s stepmother, Hudson, and her ex-husband — the father of the 16-year-old stepbrother.

As part of that dispute, Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, was recently subpoenaed to testify. Court filings state that the stepbrother appears to be a subject of the FBI’s investigation, though the agency has not confirmed that.

Last week, Hudson petitioned the court for a gag order, arguing that continued public reporting and legal filings could cause “irreversible harm” to the children involved and potentially jeopardize both the investigation and any forthcoming legal proceedings.

The FBI, which has now been investigating the case for more than two weeks, has not released additional information beyond its initial confirmation of an active probe.

Carnival Cruise Line has also not provided new statements regarding the death aboard the Horizon, citing deference to federal investigators.

As of Tuesday, no criminal charges have been filed, and the circumstances surrounding how she ended up under the bed — and what led to the fatal asphyxiation described by her family — remain unclear.

Authorities have not announced when further findings will be released.

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