Anna Kepner, a Florida teenager, tragically lost her life aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, where she was traveling with her family. The young cheerleader from Titusville was found deceased earlier this month, and recent reports have shed light on the circumstances surrounding her untimely death.
According to ABC News, the cause of death has been identified as asphyxiation due to a “bar hold,” which involves an arm being positioned across the neck. Investigators also noted the presence of two bruises on Kepner’s neck. However, the Miami-Dade County medical examiner has not yet issued an official statement confirming the cause of death.
Preliminary investigations suggest there were no indications of sexual assault, nor were drugs or alcohol detected in Kepner’s system. Official autopsy and toxicology results are still pending, according to ABC News.
Kepner’s body was discovered by a housekeeper beneath the bed in her stateroom on the Carnival Horizon, a cruise ship that had just returned to Port Miami on November 8. Law enforcement sources shared these details with CBS News.
This revelation about Kepner’s cause of death coincides with a separate family court filing that hints at the possibility of a minor facing criminal charges related to the incident. The connection between the filing and Kepner’s death remains unclear.
News of Kepner’s cause of death comes days after an unrelated family court case filing suggested a minor may face criminal charges in the 18-year-old’s death.
The disclosure, obtained earlier this week by ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and other media outlets, appears in an emergency motion submitted in a divorce case involving Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson.
In the motion, which requested a delay in a custody hearing, Hudson’s attorneys wrote that she has been told by FBI investigators that “a criminal case may be initiated” against one of her minor children related to Kepner’s death, multiple media outlets report.
Kepner was reportedly on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship’s Caribbean voyage with her father, stepmother and stepsiblings when she went missing.
As of Friday, no one has been charged in the case, and there have been no arrests linked to the teen’s death. Few official details about her death have been released publicly.
Following news of her death, Carnival released a statement that said it was working with the FBI Miami office to investigate the incident and that, “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI,” the company said in a statement.
Her family previously told ABC News that they wanted her to be remembered for her generosity and spirit. Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, also shared tributes to Kepner on its Facebook page.
