Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old high school varsity cheerleader, was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship and officially ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation, according to a report. The 18-year-old was found wrapped in blankets under a cabin bed, sharing the room with her 16-year-old stepbrother.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the ruling, stating that Kepner was ‘mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)’ during an ongoing investigation. Despite the conclusion, the Office declined to comment, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist, explained that mechanical asphyxia involves something external hindering the body’s ability to expand, preventing breathing. This type of asphyxia is not always a homicide, according to Dr. Michael Baden, the former chief medical examiner of New York City, but it can be, depending on how prosecutors decide to charge the case.
Kepner’s death was officially ruled a homicide, and the FBI is handling the investigation. While the FBI has not publicly named any suspects as of Monday evening, the stepbrother has been identified as a potential ‘suspect’ by his own parents in court filings amid an ongoing custody dispute. No charges have been filed against him, and neither of his parents nor their attorneys have responded to multiple requests for comment. Kepner was found dead under the bed in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets in a room she shared with the stepbrother, raising questions about the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
Although her time of death is listed as 11:17 a.m. on November 7, the report says she suffered the fatal injury on November 6, the last night she was publicly seen alive. This detail, combined with the recent findings, has intensified the speculation about the events surrounding her death. Her family has provided a copy of her death certificate, reportedly used to support the initial ruling, and the case continues to evolve as authorities and the public await further details, including potential charges and the final outcome of the investigation.