The death of a teenage girl from Florida while on a Carnival cruise ship has been ruled a homicide, and her stepbrother has been named a suspect.
The victim was identified as Anna Kepner, whose cause of death was determined to be "mechanical asphyxia" based on her death certificate. It said that the 18-year-old girl was "mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."
Florida Teen's Death Ruled a Homicide
The term mechanical asphyxia refers to when an object or physical force prevents an individual from breathing. A chief medical examiner in Central Florida, Stephen Nelson, who is not involved in the case, said that it means that "in some way, shape or form, your airway has been cut off."
Kepner was a high school cheerleader from Florida's Space Coast, and she was expected to graduate next year. She had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship alongside her father, stepmother, the latter's two children, and her grandparents, according to CNN.
The night before the teenager was found dead, she spent time with her grandparents in the ship's casino. Her grandmother, Barbara Kepner, said her grandchild told her, "Meemaw, I love you guys. I'll see you. I'll see you later."
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The morning after the discovery, a medical alert blared out over the ship's broadcast system, directing first responders to the room that Kepner was sharing with two other teenagers, including a younger stepbrother.
The teenager was found dead under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests. While Kepner's stepbrother has been named a suspect, no charges have been filed against him yet, ABC News reported.
Naming the Stepbrother a Suspect
Barbara said that they were all having a great time during their trip, adding that she could not think of anyone who would want to hurt her grandchild. The teenager's grandfather, Jeffrey Kepner, said they were looking forward to seeing the victim grow.
Jeffrey said that the cruise they were on was not what got him excited, but rather, it was the fact that he was able to spend another week with his youngest son and his family, and his grandchildren.
The Kepner family said that the victim's relationship with her step-siblings was happy, adding that there was "no such thing as steps." Barbara also said that the last time she saw her grandchild alive, the teen was complaining about her braces bothering her. Despite this, she still dressed up and joined the family in the cruise casino, as per BBC.
