The father of an 18-year-old cheerleader who was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship says his stepson should be punished if investigators determine he played a role in her death.
Christopher Kepner said his 16-year-old stepson had always seemed like “a normal kid” and that he remains in shock over his daughter’s killing.
Anna, 18, was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7 during a family vacation with her father, stepmother, grandparents and several siblings. She was discovered wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets in a room she shared with her stepbrother.
“I want him to face the consequences … I will be fighting to make sure that does happen,” Kepner told People.
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“I do not stand behind what my stepson has done,” he said. Kepner did not directly say his stepson was responsible for Anna’s death.
“I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can’t decline,” he added.
Anna’s death has reportedly been ruled a homicide by “mechanical asphyxiation,” but authorities have not announced any suspects or arrests. She was found in the cabin she shared with her stepbrother, relatives have said.
Mechanical asphyxia means an external force obstructs breathing, Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist, previously told Fox News Digital.
Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner of New York City, said mechanical asphyxiation is not always a homicide, though it can be, and it is up to prosecutors to determine any charges.
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The FBI is leading the investigation and has not publicly named any suspects.
Anna’s stepbrother was identified as a potential “suspect” by his own parents in court filings amid an unrelated custody dispute. No charges have been filed.
“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,” Kepner told the outlet. “And I would’ve never thought that any of this would’ve happened.”
“Right now, my best course of action is to let the FBI do what they’re doing. They have the evidence that they need. When they make the arrest, then we’ll start seeing the justice side of things,” he said.
Kepner was a high school varsity cheerleader who planned to join the Navy after graduation and ultimately wanted to become a K-9 police officer.
