A new report claims the Florida cheerleader found dead aboard a Carnival cruise was killed by a brutal bar-hold strangulation — a chilling twist that’s raising even more questions about what really happened at sea.
Source: NewYork Post
Anna Kepner died from asphyxiation caused by the brutal chokehold — an arm locked across her neck — and was found with two dark bruises along her throat, a source close to the investigation told ABC News on Friday.
Anna Kepner was reportedly killed by a bar-hold strangulation after she was discovered dead aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise — a shocking twist that’s intensifying scrutiny of what truly unfolded at sea. Instagram/@anna.kepner16
Anna Kepner (left) died from asphyxiation caused by the chokehold — an arm locked across her neck — and was found with two noticeable bruises along the side of her throat. Instagram/@anna.kepner16
There were no signs of sexual assault, and tests showed no drugs or alcohol in her system, the insider said — a revelation that only deepens the mystery surrounding her death.
Officials previously reported that Kepner was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 8. ABC News detailed that she was discovered under a bed, wrapped in a blanket, and surrounded by life vests — a chilling scene that has left investigators searching for answers.
Both the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office and the FBI declined to comment on the newly revealed details, leaving many questions about the case unanswered.
Authorities have yet to reveal who carried out the gruesome act — and then wrapped Kepner’s body in a blanket, piled her with life jackets, and hid her under a bed — though her stepbrother was previously questioned by the FBI.
Kepner’s blended family was on a six-day Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Horizon when a maid made the horrifying discovery on Nov. 7.
The girl’s 16-year-old stepbrother allegedly became obsessed with her in a way that’s downright disturbing — relentlessly pursuing her and even once being caught climbing on top of her while she slept.
“She was scared of him because he always carried around a big knife,” the father of Kepner’s ex-boyfriend, Joshua, told “Inside Edition.”
“He’s like infatuated, attracted to her like crazy. He always wanted to date her.”
Kepner’s ex tried to warn the girl’s parents—but they shrugged it off, ignoring the desperate plea of a teen who clearly saw danger coming.
Tension hung over the family like a storm cloud—and most of it came straight from the parents.
Kepner’s stepmom, Shauntel Hudson, was locked in a bitter custody fight with her ex-husband over their two kids—whom she accused of suffering physical abuse at their father’s hands.
Kepner’s own mother said she wasn’t allowed to attend her daughter’s funeral, a painful fallout from years of bitter family tension.
"I’m going to wear a disguise, I’m going to put a wig on and wear some really tall shoes because I’m 4 foot 9," the determined mom, divorced from her daughter’s father 13 years ago, told Inside Edition.
Kepner’s family and friends gathered Thursday to celebrate her life, honoring her memory in a heartfelt farewell.
In an obituary penned by those who loved her, the teen was remembered as a girl "who loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others."
“She never had a filter, and that was part of her charm,” they heartbreakingly recalled. “She had a big, beautiful heart, often sending random ‘I love you’ messages or little gestures that made someone’s day,” the missive read.
The 16-year-old, affectionately nicknamed 'Anna Banana' by her family, had big dreams for the future—planning to join the U.S. Navy after graduation and eventually become a K9 police officer.
The high school senior was on track to graduate this spring from Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida.
A devout Christian who was baptized in May, Kepner’s family wrote that they take “comfort in knowing she is now in heaven, laughing, being the center of attention, and enjoying fries with ranch … just as she loved here on Earth.”
