Anna Kepner "Fought For Her Life" on Cruise Ship; Family Wants Stepbrother Charged

00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Sunday, November the thirtieth, and the mystery or the death of a teenage girl aboard a carnival cruise ship continues. It's a mystery to all of us, but to some of her family members we've been hearing from, there's no mystery to them at all. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes. The family of Anna Kapner all on this cruise together. This story has been making national international headlines. They try to stop a little short of just flat out saying her step brother killed her, but they kind of go that far anyway they do.

00:00:43
Speaker 2: We've now heard from Anna Kepner's dad, her aunt, and her grandparents, and without directly saying it, they're saying it. I mean, they're saying it as clearly as they can without legally getting into any kind of trouble.

00:00:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, really fair to say they are stopping short. The only thing they haven't said is I think he killed her, right, I mean, but short of that, they kind of are saying that in a different ways.

00:01:09
Speaker 2: Yes, the grandparents said specifically that detectives told them that they looked at the surveillance video and when their granddaughter went to bed not feeling so well earlier that evening. The only person to come in and out of the room she was in was the stepbrother. So that's fairly damning right there. The grandparents also talked about his demeanor. They said that he was beyond upset, that he actually required attention. He was so beside himself when they found Anna Kepner's body, and they said, he doesn't remember what happened. He was an emotional mess. So there's that. And then perhaps the most damning of all, her father, her own father telling authorities that he does not stand behind what my step son has done. I want him to face the consequences. I will be fighting to make sure that does happen. That is fairly specific and direct.

00:02:12
Speaker 1: And to go back here, folks, we're talking about Anna Kapner. You've seen her face, you have seen you've heard that name quite a bit on this family vacation, this carnival cruise earlier this month. And she's found under her bed in her room with life vests on top of her, wrapped in a blanket. It seemed obvious that someone was trying to conceal her. The authorities have come out and they have confirmed at least she was she did die. It appears she was asphyxiated, right, Yes, he did tell us that much. At least there was even talk about a particular hold, a choke hole, that was used in her death. But they did not name a suspect, and they still have not. That isn't very important to say Robes that there's no one in her family or elsewhere who has been pointed to as a per from the interest or as a suspect. But the reason we are here now, and the reason that so much scrutiny has been put now on her step brother his rose because of another case that had nothing to do with this one. In another case, her step mother is having a custody issue in court, and she filed papers saying that we need to delay this because one of my kids, my son, is under possible investigation for by the FBI and could possibly face criminal charges. So it is not difficult to put two and two together. And now with some of the statements from the family, it looks like all all fingers are pointing towards the stepbrother who she was sharing this room with on the cruise, correct at the time.

00:03:47
Speaker 2: So yeah, and it's puzzling because you also hear these same family members describe Anna's relationship with her stepbrother as just like brother and sister. Look, anyone who has and has experienced a blended family knows their there are some I mean, there are some growing pains, and it can be difficult. It can be a struggle, especially with teenagers and asking them to come together and now unite as a family. That's not always the smoothest of transitions. But by all accounts, even the folks who now are pointing the finger at the stepbrothers said before this, there was no sign of any concern. They were close. In fact, the grandmother said they were two peas in a pod, and she said that they actually elected to share the room together. The family had three staterooms in the cruise, and the grandparents said, hey, we had a big room, and we told especially the teenagers, if y'all aren't getting along, if there's any sort of issue, we have an extra bed in our room, you can come here. So she said, there was no sign of anything other than just fun and family.

00:04:47
Speaker 1: I can't get it right. I'm trying to work it out. Grandparents, her mom, her stepmom, and then what was the sibling breakdown? How many of our step siblings of Kanna Kapner and how many were her actual So from.

00:04:59
Speaker 2: What I understand, and there were three three siblings on Anna's side and two siblings on the stepmother's. Yes, yes, so there were five kids in total and four adults is what it sounds like. So yes, Anna's mom, sorry, Anna's stepmom, her father, her paternal grandparents, and then all the kids. And they said this was going to be an annual tradition. The grandparents watching them speak about their family, they were very loving and said all the kids, they treated all the grandkids as their own, that there was no step this or step, that they were all one blended family. But it's interesting. Anna's aunt spoke out most recently and said and said this about her niece. She said, I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life. And this is where she even went a step further and said, we don't understand why if the boy is a suspect, why has he not been charged yet? What's happening there? And she talks about the frustration with the family, saying it's been rough. She actually said it's a turmoil. We're just sitting here waiting, and so that is the question, at least she is posing, why have authorities not taken the next step?

00:06:12
Speaker 1: Well, like in the ducks in a row, I would assume that we've seen these investigations and they're very careful, and they haven't released a lot, And it's really usually a pretty good reason for not releasing a whole lot. We have to hold off, obviously, have to wait and see what's going on. This kid might not face a charge of any kind, or there might be some other explanation for what happened to her in that room, And I think we don't go too far. Somebody clearly panicked and tried to cover her body, not suggesting that was the step brother, But I mean, given the condition you're on a cruise ship, how do you think no one's gonna get found under a bed covered in a blanket with some life jackets on top of.

00:06:50
Speaker 2: Oeen year old kid.

00:06:51
Speaker 1: Somebody got scared somebody else in that moment, and I'll get who we gotta be cared. We don't want to be accusatory to this kid. We were talking about what these folks are saying. But when you I think in any specialists any investigator will tell you about that scene.

00:07:07
Speaker 2: What it suggests, Yes, exactly that some And look, you can go into plenty of forensic shows and see that when someone wraps someone in a blanket, it tends to be someone who knew them, who loved them, who's trying to cover it because they want to take care. It's not some random act of violence. That usually suggests that there was a relationship, because there's some sort of you're trying to even almost in a way, soothe the body, protect the body, wrap it up. It suggests a lot of what you do after the fact suggest a lot about the relationship, perhaps before anything happened. And look, there are a million different scenarios. This could have been an accident and he panics. This could have absolutely been they were rough housing. Anyone who has teenage kids, I have seen rough housing. I'm saying, you know, parents, be careful. Somebody could get hurt. That absolutely could have been the case, and this kid didn't know what to do, because it does look even Anna's grandmother describes him as a good student, as a quiet kid. They had a good relationship. There was never any fear about letting them all stay in the same room. Together. And look, that is kind of unusual on eighteen year old girl sleeping in the same room as sixteen year old brother. That I wouldn't have my brother and I would fight like hell not to have to sleep in the same room together, just for lots of reasons. So the fact that they were willing to and happy to when they were given other options speaks to their relationship. And that's why it's just been puzzling for so many It seems like the families just in turmoil because they couldn't have imagined anything like this happening. There was no sign there was anything that could have happened like this.

00:08:43
Speaker 1: Well, folks, all of this happened again. The young lady died. She was found dead on November seventh. These investigators believe that's the day that she did die, November seventh, and of course that was just weeks ahead of Thanksgiving that we just had well, stay with you, stay with us. We'll tell you what the family says they did for Thanksgiving, what that looked like for them with one very important member of their family not being with them. Also will tell you, and read directly the line from that court action that prompted everybody to start looking at the step brother. All Right, folks, welcome back to this episode of Amy and tj. Anna Keepner, eighteen year old young lady from Florida, died found dead November seventh on a Carnival cruise ship and appears at least from her members of her family and a Kiptner's family. They're pouring the fingers directly at her step brother who was sharing a room with her on that cruise. And also we got under indications ropes I mentioned from a court action. Anna Keepner had a step mom on this trip with her and her step siblings. Well that step mom it is still involved in a court action with her ex husband over a child custody dispute. Well, that was delayed, and this is rose. We did an episode on this as well when this first came out. But the line in her and again separate court action said the respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action. So one of the kids involved in a custody dispute is going to end up possibly being a suspect and a murder investigation. Is what that line said, and that was as plain as day. And I'm sure they didn't want to have to write that, but it was necessary to do that, and that's the most information we initially got about what was going on in this investigation.

00:10:50
Speaker 2: Yes, and despite you know, we heard from Anna Kepner's dad who said that he will be fighting to make sure that his steps and will face the consequence. But when he was directly asked do you believe your steps on is responsible for your daughter's death, he said this quote. I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can't decline 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. But this is a family of seven that has been together for some time. They've celebrated, they've celebrated holidays together, they have traditions together. I cannot imagine what this past week was like for them. I'm sure been just surreal from November seventh on. But when you have those holidays and those traditions and you have this group of people who has found a way to blend together to now be in the middle of this finger pointing, these questions, the not knowing, the investigation. It is beyond anything I could imagine.

00:12:00
Speaker 1: Around the holidays, everybody Thanksgiving every holiday, so many families are dealing with this being the first holiday without blank, without this person that's past right, everybody is. So many people have to deal with that during the holidays. A lot of folks had a Thanksgiving and just had somebody this is the first one without Grandma, that's the first one without this, without that. Sometimes it comes close to the holiday, and that's really devastating. But when you have when it's we talk about a child that you still don't know how she died? Wow, what is Thanksgiving like? And the police are telling you, and in your heart you believe that the person responsible is someone who spent the last Thanksgiving with you, and who's supposed to spend this one and the next one and the next one. Now I didn't see Robes. I saw the comments, and I believe it. I can't remember where he gave the comments to the dad, but describing their Thanksgiving. But I didn't see anything that suggested that they were all together or actually that they weren't.

00:12:58
Speaker 2: We don't know, So here is what he says. Because he said his blended family of seven and that would have included Anna and her stepbrother obviously, have always done Thanksgiving with their own tradition. He said, we've always done it a little differently. We let the kids decide what they want. So he did say this year, the family will spend this time close and together. He didn't specifically mention the stepbrother, but that seems almost I can't imagine. But we don't know who was in that family dinner. But he said they're not going to do the traditional turkey, which I understand. I mean, when you have a situation like this and even divorce, you know, I totally support mixing it up, just to try to get everybody into new traditions and kind of accepting change. But this is so different. He did tell a media outlet that the family was planning on steak on the grill instead of turkey. He said, they're not really doing Thanksgiving Thanksgiving. He said they're still going to celebrate, and they still said. Anna was there with them, she loved They said she specifically loved cornbread casserole and they were gonna have that because that's what she always asks for every year. But my god, I just where's the kid?

00:14:09
Speaker 1: Where's the steps soun? I really wonder And we talk about this in one way, and the possibility that he's being looked at as frankly a murderer, is how he's being possibly looked at. Maybe they look at him differently, they know him, they had to have had discussions with him, or has he lawyered up in such a way that he's not even talking to his parents or his step parents or his family at this point. I don't know.

00:14:34
Speaker 2: He could be with his dad for this Thanksgiving, you know. And I was even just thinking to doing with this kid. What that does to your relationship with your wife. This is his second wife and her second husband, and seems like they had a great relationship. They were all going on a cruise together, their kids were all together, everything was going well. Can you imagine as the parent of a child who was murdered and it may be your wife's child. I mean that, I don't know how our marriage even survives that.

00:15:02
Speaker 1: Your kid killed mine. Yes, in a relationship, that's a lot couples can overcome. And again we don't know the details. There might be some type of reason that is acceptable and short of him being monstrous. He's a sixteen year old kid we're talking about, so.

00:15:20
Speaker 2: Just gotten a little too rough, didn't know his own strength.

00:15:23
Speaker 1: Breaked out. We just don't know, So we have to wait and for whatever reason, Yes, this young lady is dead. That's awful, But I have got to believe, and I'm trying to hold on to a belief that something else besides a sixteen year old kid just losing it or being a murderer. Yeah, I'm waiting and I'm listening and I'm wondering. But my god, it's an awful tragedy around the holidays that's tearing this family apart.

00:15:54
Speaker 2: Because accidents do happen, and kids do panic. There are a lot of potentially different reasons why what happened happened, and we'll have to wait for the authorities to tell us. But this family certainly is hoping for answers sooner rather than later, and we certainly hope they get them. I'm with that. Everyone. Thank you so much for listening to us. I'm Amy Robot alongside TJ. Holmes. We hope you're enjoying your Sunday and we'll talk to you sooner.