Grandparents Seek Answers After 18-Year-Old Anna Kepner Found Dead on Cruise; Stepbrother Reportedly a Suspect

The grandparents of 18-year-old Anna Kepner say they cannot fathom why anyone would harm her after she was found dead aboard a cruise ship on Nov. 8. Anna's body was discovered under a bed in the stateroom she shared with stepsiblings; the family says the stepbrother is being considered a suspect and told investigators he does not remember what happened. The family was told a medical finding indicated asphyxiation and that a "bar hold" was mentioned, but officials have not publicly released a final cause of death and no arrests have been made.

11:30 PM, 11/24/2025Society

Grandparents Seek Answers After 18-Year-Old Anna Kepner Found Dead on Cruise; Stepbrother Reportedly a Suspect

Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner, the grandparents of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, are speaking publicly as investigators continue to probe Anna's death aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 8.

What the family says

"We were all having a great time," Barbara Kepner said. "I couldn't fathom why anyone would wanna hurt my baby."

The Kepners were traveling with Anna, her father, her stepmother and two stepsiblings. According to the family, Anna's body was discovered under a bed in the stateroom she shared with her stepsiblings.

Family members say they were told authorities are considering Anna's stepbrother as a suspect. The grandparents described the two as being "just like brother and sister" and said the siblings had chosen to stay in the same room during the cruise.

"In his own words, he says he does not remember what happened," Barbara Kepner said of the stepbrother. "I believe, to him, that is his truth. He was an emotional mess. He couldn't even speak. He couldn't believe what had happened." The family also says they were told the stepbrother was the only person seen entering and leaving the stateroom.

After the ship returned to Miami, the stepbrother was reportedly hospitalized for psychiatric observation and later released to the care of a family member.

Last moments and emergency response

Barbara Kepner said she last saw Anna the night before the body was found. Anna told her she "didn't feel well," but later dressed up and joined relatives in the ship's casino. "She sat down… and she said, 'Meemaw, I love you guys, I'll see you later.' She'd pop in and out to check in with us. And we never saw her again after that," Barbara recalled.

The following morning the family heard a medical alert over the ship's public-address system. When they returned to the stateroom, Barbara said she immediately knew something was wrong.

Investigation status

The family says they were informed that a medical finding indicated asphyxiation and were told Anna had been placed in what was described to them as a "bar hold," a maneuver in which an elbow is placed across the neck. Officials have not publicly released a formal, final cause of death, and no arrests have been announced.

Investigators continue to review evidence and interview witnesses. The family has expressed a desire for answers as authorities complete their work.