NEED TO KNOW
-
Anna Kepner died from asphyxiation while aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise, ABC News reports
-
Kepner’s body was found under a bed by cruise staff on Nov. 8
-
One of her step-siblings may be facing a criminal charge but police have not said whether it’s in connection to her death
Anna Kepner, the teen found dead on a cruise ship in the Caribbean earlier this month, died from asphyxiation, ABC News reports, citing sources close to the investigation.
Kepner, 18, was found dead under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 8. Now, investigators have preliminarily ruled that the teen died as a result of asphyxiation from a bar hold — or an arm held across the neck, ABC reports. PEOPLE has not independently verified the report.
Kepner’s body showed no signs of sexual assault nor were drugs or alcohol found in her system, ABC reports, though full autopsy and toxicology reports have not yet been made available.
When contacted earlier on Friday, Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Department declined to comment on Kepner’s cause and nature of death, citing the pending investigation. The medical examiner was not available to confirm ABC’s update.
The FBI did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The high school cheerleader from Titusville, Fla. was on the cruise with her father, stepmother and two step-siblings, CBS News previously reported.
The night before she was found dead, Kepner retired to bed early, telling her family she was not feeling well, per CBS News.
She is now being remembered as a “thoughtful, nurturing” person who was “always thinking of others,” according to an online obituary.
“She had a big, beautiful heart, often sending random ‘I love you’ messages or little gestures that made someone’s day,” read part of the obituary.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
No suspect or person of interest has been publicly named in the case.
However, in court filings unrelated to the death, the teen’s stepmother Shauntel Hudson said she was briefed by the FBI that one of Hudson’s minor children may be facing criminal charges, according to Florida Today, FOX 35 and CBS News.
The filing, which pertains to Hudson’s child custody issues with her former husband, did not claim whether the criminal charge is in connection with Anna’s death.
Read the original article on People
