Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, January eighth, and almost exactly two months ago, eighteen year old Anna Kepner was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship, and here we are two months later, no arrests and very few answers as to what happened to her. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ, where we have been looking back robes on some very high profile mysteries, deaths,
investigations that don't have a lot of answers. This one we don't have a lot of answers either, But this has been a fascinating case where little things start leaking out here in the there to where we're starting to form a picture at least it seems of what might have happened.
That's right, because this happened in international waters. It's the FBI's jurisdiction, and the FBI is notoriously tight liped. They do not show their hand, they do not give any indication as to where their investigation is headed. And so the only reason why we have any information is because there is a custody dispute going on between Anna Kepner's stepmother and her ex husband involving this stepbrother who we now know is a suspect only because of court documents in this custody case.
All right, folks, did you get all that? I know the story well, and I was and that was still confusing. No, not confusing everything with one hundred percent right, that is what this case has been, very confusing. Let's go back to last November. Anna Keeptner, eighteen years old from Titusville, Florida, went on a cruise. She had her dad, stepmom, the step mom's two kids, and her grandparents. So correct, whole family is together, and Anna Kaepner is sharing a room
with one of the step siblings. Both step siblings, including her sixteen year old stepbrother. She's found dead on November seventh. Robes and the way she was found may clear. It's clear someone tried to hide or cover up something.
Correct, it was I believe a a house cleaner who came in a cleaning crew around eleven am on November seventh and found her under the bed with life jackets and blankets trying to cover the body. And pretty quickly I will say we did get a cause of death. That was information came out very quickly, and that it completely went dry but they were able to tell us. Authorities were able to tell us that Anna Kapner, eighteen
years old, died from mechanical asphyxia. They say she was mechanically asphyxiated by other persons, so they labeled it a homicide from the get go. There was no question as to how she died. We know it was at the hands of someone else, but they haven't said who, if any suspects there are.
Officially, yes, they haven't given us that information. So move forward to the next part of the story and the story you were telling rogues. Is that the reason we have the information we have now Again we talked about this being a blended family, step mom, step siblings. Well, the step mom is involved in a custody dispute with her ex husband. Now, as a matter of that dispute, they had to make some court filings en roped. It's in one of those court filings is where it is.
At least from her words, she is saying her son is being considered a suspect by the FBI.
That's right in the latest court filing, at least the one that got everyone's attention. This is the language that was in the document. It is true that there is an open investigation regarding the death of the biological daughter of the stepfather and blank, we don't have his name, but the sixteen year old is a suspect regarding this death, which occurred recently on a cruise ship. So that is
as plain as it gets in this court filing. The sixteen year old stepbrother is a suspect in the murder of eighteen year old Anna Kepner.
And again, and you look, no speculation and nothing to put there, but people are piecing this together that just no one else was around. You remind me, and I'm sorry I'm completely missing this, but as far as the comings and goings, they are aware that nobody else was in and out of that stateroom.
Correct, There is surveillance video. There are cameras all throughout that cruise ship. And they have made a note that the only person who came and left Anna Kepner's room was the step brother. From the time they know she went in there alive until the time she was found dead, he was the only person who came and went.
Okay, So then we find out more. Again, the official information comes from official court filings in this other dispute, but there are ropes. We found out that he was at a facility, We found out about some of the things he's been saying to family members. And this call comes again from some court documents that show text messages between the boy's mother and father, who is her ex husband.
Yes, and a lot of people have made a point will go through them that the text messages said nothing about really about the death of Anna Kaepner, about the loss of Anna Keepner. It was all about protecting and perhaps massaging public opinion about their son. So the first text is at seven thirty pm on November seventh, that is the day they found Anna Kaepner's body. Within about six hours of that discovery, Chantelle, which is the stepmom, wrote to her ex husband, we'll call him Tim, that's
his name. I need you to call me asap. It's an emergency. The next text is the following day, and they are talking about their younger daughter. She doesn't know anything about her brother. The only thing I told her is that he was having a hard time coping with losing Anna. So he's getting checked out by the hospital. We know that the stepbrother was immediately when the ship came into doc sent straight to a medical facility to be evaluated. He was that emotional, apparently, and then the
next day. This is very interesting, Chantelle texts her ex husband on November ninth. I was able to talk with the step brother last night for under two minutes. Briefly. He just keeps repeating over and over. He can't remember everything that made headlines.
He said everything, he said anything.
Anything, Sorry, he can't remember anything.
Yes, that's all he repeated. I don't know what to make of that, and no one does. But there is something that happened on the ship. It's almost as if he's acknowledging something happened, but he can't remember that thing. I don't know what to make of that, but a lot of people are making something of that. This is man, this is this is awful. What happened? It could have been. You can explain all kinds of accidents. I'm sure he'll He hasn't been charged with anything. Now, let's start there.
He hasn't been charged and hasn't been named officially as a suspect by any law enforcement arm has he That is correct.
The FBI is the only entity investigating, and they're not going to announce the suspect. They're going to announce an arrest. They're going to announce charges, but before that they will not. And it's interesting because if you see, I hate to call it damage control, but that is what's going on between the two parents the ex husband, right, I wrote, I just want him to know that he isn't just dead to everyone, regardless of everything. At the moment, he
needs his parents. I know you know that. I would just like to have a chance to talk with him as soon as possible. Sean Tell writes, nobody knows anything about him. He is a minor and has been kept completely out of it. We have not said anything to anybody, and we are we will try our best to keep completely out. We'll know exactly more when the autopsy is done. Once we get the autopsy today. Depending on what it says, it will depend on whether he's booked on these charges.
What's interesting about that is that we did get the autopsy, and we did get a cause of death, and it is asphyxiation. They actually didn't they say it was with a choke hold done by someone else, So that's interesting. She felt like once they determined it was murder, once they determined she was exphyxiated, that their son was likely going to face charges.
Doesn't it sound to you like the parents knew he was. He had a hand at least the mom in these exchanges like an expectation he's going to be charged. Was nothing in that said yeah, he was nowhere near this. Oh he said he walked in and that was none of that. And this is a moment where they never thought their text messages would be released, so they're talking correct. And so this last one also was getting a lot of buzz. She writes.
Okay, I know everything is supposed to be hush hush for now, but I've seen that it is still getting out with posts and comments between Facebook, TikTok and stuff. I just want to make sure, until things are certain, that he doesn't get any unnecessary comments towards There is nothing in here that says he is innocent. He did nothing. I know my child, we know our kid. He would
never do this. I'm blown away at the accusations. This is so it's all about controlling the damage, controlling the narrative, about protecting him, and I get that as a parent, I totally get that. But what's absent and what's missing, which is so notable, is that there's no talk about him being innocent whatsoever.
You know there, You know it's to some point and any parent listening can relate to you immediately no matter what. Want to do right by your child and want to protect your child the best you can, of course, and you certainly don't want to believe your child is capable of anything like this. And also robes this could have been it's some kind of horseplay or tragic accident. Did a sixteen year old have the intent of killing his
eighteen year old stepsister? Hope not, but something happened to her at the hands of some else, and to think it was another teenager who's in her family is just horrific for this family, as we said, and we want answers and are waiting and whatnot. Man, this family is going through it, and they went through it. We talked about him over the holidays. They miss Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not just that she's not there, but the whole family now is split because the step siblings are here and
the family's over here and all this stuff. But stay with us, folks, and all we're talking about is sixteen year old. Where exactly is he right now? We'll get into that and also we'll let you know what other family members have been saying about this young man.
Welcome back, everyone. We are giving you an update of the latest information about the murder of Anna Kepner. She was the eighteen year old Florida teen who was found dead in her cabin on a cruise ship, a Carnival Horizon cruise ship. She was on a family vacation and because of court documents involved in a custody case, we know from those documents that her stepbrother, her sixteen year
old stepbrother, is a suspect in the investigation. The FBI is actually conducting the investigation because this happened in international waters and they notoriously do not give any information. So the information we do have is coming out from these court documents. And we know that the stepbrother is now no longer understandably living with his mother, Anna Kepner, and
his stepfather, of course, the father of Anna Kepner. So she and her ex agreed in November, and we all know this through the court documents, to send him to a family member on Florida's west coast, because Anna Kapner said, yeah, he can't return to our Titus Phill home. Can you imagine though, what that marriage is going through right now?
Your son potentially killed my daughter. How do you how does that family not just get through the holidays that they've had to get through, but just get through life?
You said potentially, Where is it fair to say we're the ones and investigators are saying potentially? Don't these people probably know?
Yes, what happened, right, Yes, And it seems I cannot imagine being able to survive that as in a relationship, and it's a tough Like you see the pictures of these of this family and you see them vacationing together and all these family photos, and they all look very
happy and very united, and this is difficult. We also know, just in terms of the step brother from these court documents, his mom said that he had not been taking pills for insomnia for the last few days on that trip on that cruise ship, and that he also was supposed to be taking pills regularly for that and for his ADHD. So that was a part of the court documents that when he went to this other family member to ensure
that he was taking his medication. I don't know how that would play into any sort of potential defense if he is charged at some point, but that was made note of as well, and really the only indication we have about their relationship we heard from the grandmother who was on the cruise ship earlier, and she had nothing but glowing things to say about the relationship between Anna and her stepbrother, which is also puzzling. She said, there were two peas in a pod.
What happened? Just what happened in that room? I just I'll wait and want to hear. But I would like to believe that a sixteen year old does not have a desire to kill his step sister, And so we'll find out maybe what happened in there, But just an awful story for a young lady was supposed to be graduation from high school. I believe this this spring. Yeah,
it's awful, but again it's one folks. You can go back through our feed here you'll see that this week we have gone back and revisited some of these cases. Martha Nolan, the death in montac David the singer who dead body was found in his trunk a teenager. That case is still going on, and now this one as well.
No, I was just saying, you wonder in these cases, as you just listed those all several of them have a very well documented potential suspect, and it's just curious as to what it takes what prosecutors are potentially trying to do behind the scenes to make sure they have all their ducks in a row before they bring charges and before they potentially but there's time to actually present a case. So I'm just it's curious to me what the decision is to.
Wait, you know, you want to get it right. These are very high profile cases that we have seen defense attorneys dismantle in court based on things that are happening right now, investigative things going on that we don't know about. So yes, as a public, as journalists here waiting for answers and waiting for the story to actually come out. And this is one I defer and I have to
give them all they're just do for. And ha's the patience for these cases because I cannot imagine behind the scenes what it takes to make sure you got it right to bring somebody to justice and make sure you can get a conviction just about and arrest.
Justice is oftentimes, especially in this country, very slow. We have certainly documented that and seen that. I think what the grandmother had to say, really kind of moved me, she said. When they kept asking her about the relationship, she said, I can't accuse him because I don't know
what happened in that realm. And I think that's where we all are right now, and we will wait to see what investigats readers tell us when the time comes, and we will of course be following this story as well as all of those others for you, and as news becomes available, we will bring it to you. So we appreciate you as always listening to us. I'm a Mee Roebuck alongside t. J.
Holmes. We will talk to you soon.