Anna Kepner’s mom says stepbrother being charged with first-degree murder

The stepbrother of Anna Kepner, the Florida teen found dead on a cruise ship, is being charged with first-degree murder, according to Kepner’s mom.

Kepner, an 18-year-old cheerleader from Titusville, was found dead under a bed Nov. 7 by a person cleaning the cabin she shared with her stepbrother and another sibling aboard the Carnival Horizon. Her death was ruled a homicide and she reportedly died by strangulation.  

FBI officials confirmed they are investigating the case, however, they have not released any information about potential suspects. The FBI did not return a call seeking comment.

Court documents related to a custody case involving the stepbrother’s parents had earlier revealed the 16-year-old was being mentioned as a suspect. And the 16-year-old stepbrother reportedly appeared before a federal magistrate in a locked Miami courtroom Feb. 6.

“They are going to charge … her 16-year-old stepbrother with first-degree murder and there are going to be some other charges brought, but I’m not sure what they are yet. Until they tell me I don’t know more,” Kepner’s biological mom, Heather Wright, posted on her TikTok account.

The roughly 30-second video does not mention where she is getting her information. Kepner’s biological mother lives Oklahoma and has said she only found out about her daughter’s death days after it happened.

Anna Kepner’s stepbrother appears in Miami court

The 16-year-old stepbrother appeared before a federal magistrate on Feb. 6 with public defenders, prosecutors and U.S. Marshals, according to NBC 6 in Miami.

The docket for the judge was sealed and any charges the teen may face have not been officially released. After the teen appeared before a federal judge, he was seen walking to another courthouse and into a probation office where defendants are processed for pretrial release, according to NBC 6 in Miami.

The Miami Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has not released Kepner’s cause of death, but various media reports state she was strangled.

Documents also show the stepbrother was taken to a facility following the cruise where he stayed for an undetermined amount of time. He then went to live with a relative in another part of Florida where his mother said in a court hearing he was undergoing therapy.

Who was Anna Kepner?

Kepner, an “A” student at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, was described by family and friends as “pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing.”

She received her boaters license before she could drive and had plans to join the U.S. Navy after her high school graduation next year with long-term plans to become a K9 officer. A lifelong gymnast, Kepner was active on her school’s cheerleading team.

Hundreds of people showed up for her celebration of life Nov. 20. In the days after her death, loved ones turned her car into a makeshift memorial with flowers, balloons and messages.

Michelle Spitzeris a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.