Featured Image Credit: Anna Kepner/Instagram
Topics: Crime, Cruise ship, US News
Callum Jones
The father of teenager Anna Kepner, who was murdered on board a cruise ship in November, has spoken out after revealing the teenager's stepbrother has been charged in connection with the case.
Cheerleader Anna, 18, was found dead from a ‘mechanical asphyxiation’ while on a family trip on board a Carnival cruise ship sailing through the Caribbean, with her death later being ruled a homicide.
The FBI immediately launched an investigation into how the teenager ended up 'stuffed under a bed' in her family's cabin after going on vacation with her grandparents, father, stepmother, siblings, and stepsiblings.
Anna’s stepbrother has since been detained and charged in connection with the case, Anna's father, Chris Kepner, said. It is unclear which charges he faces.
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According to Click Orlando, he admitted to feeling 'p***** off' that Anna's stepbrother had been released on bail after it was confirmed he had gone back to living with a family he'd been staying with in Brooksville.
Chris and his wife, Shauntel, the suspect’s biological mother and stepmother of Anna, have since issued a statement following the recent arrest.
"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice for their dedication, professionalism, and thoroughness in the investigation into the murder of our daughter," they began.
The statement continued: "The loss of our daughter is a pain that will never fully heal. She was taken from us in a violent and senseless way, and our family has been permanently changed. Our grief is overwhelming, and her absence is felt in every part of our lives.
"No parent should ever have to bury their child, and no words can fully express the depth of our loss."
The statement continued: "We believe in accountability and in the importance of justice being carried out. Our daughter deserves justice, and her life deserves to be honored through a full and fair legal process.
"We are grateful to the investigators and prosecutors who have worked to uncover the truth and to ensure that this crime is treated with the seriousness it warrants."
The couple concluded their statement by stating they are focused 'on honoring our daughter's memory' and seeking justice for the teenager.