The father of a cheerleader who was found dead on a cruise ship gave a seven-word statement to her stepbrother, even though he has not been charged with her murder.
18-year-old Anna Kepner was found dead on November 17 in the room on board a Carnival cruise ship that she was sharing with her stepbrother while it was docked in Miami.
Anna Kepner’s cause of death has been announced
Her cause of death has since been confirmed as asphyxiation, and two bruises were found on her neck when her body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests.
The 16-year-old stepbrother has not been named formally as a suspect in the investigation, and has not been charged with her murder.
However, Anna’s father has issued a warning to him, stating clearly what he and others in the family believe and what he thinks should now happen.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Kepner’s dad Christopher claimed: “I do not stand behind what my stepson has done,
“I want him to face the consequences.
“He was the only one that was in the room and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they will have to provide the evidence to say that he did do it or did not do this.”
In other documents, it has been revealed that the 16-year-old is under investigation.
Kepner’s aunt has also called for charges to be brought.
“We don’t understand why, if the boy is a suspect, why has he not been charged yet,” Krystal Wright told Fox affiliate station WOFL-TV.
Credit: Instagram/@anna.kepner16
Kepner’s grandmother has also raised questions
According to Kepner’s grandmother Barbara, the stepbrother was in a state of emotional distress when the cruise ship arrived in Miami.
She also claimed that he repeatedly said he couldn’t remember what had happened.
Barbara said: “Whatever happened in that room the only person responsible is the person that was in the room with Anna.”
Kepner’s ex-boyfriend also reported that Anna had chairs thrown at her and was screamed at by her stepbrother before her death.
Joshua Tew also said that Kepner felt uncomfortable around her stepbrother and that he’d tried to climb on top of her during a FaceTime call.
Credit: Anna Kepner/TikTok
Describing the final moments before she died, her grandmother said: “She just said, ‘Meemaw, I think I’m gonna go back to my room for a little bit, I don’t feel well,
“And she must have felt better because she got dressed up and she came down. We were playing in the casino. And she sat down and she played $20.
“And she didn’t win anything. And she said, ‘Meemaw, I love you guys, I’ll see you later.'
“And we never saw her again after that.”
The investigation continues.